Establishes a maternal health monitoring pilot program within the department of health to offer eligible participants improved maternal health care through remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and maternal diabetes; requires delivery of a report.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9651
IN ASSEMBLY
January 21, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a
maternal health monitoring pilot program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section
2 2500-n to read as follows:
3 § 2500-n. Maternal health monitoring pilot program. 1. As used in this
4 section:
5 (a) "Eligible participant" means a patient who meets all of the
6 following criteria:
7 (i) the patient is a recipient of medical assistance;
8 (ii) the patient is a member of a participating managed care organiza-
9 tion; and
10 (iii) the patient is pregnant.
11 (b) "Escalation pathway" means an agreement between the participating
12 managed care organizations and the technology vendor on a process to
13 follow when an eligible participant's measurements are concerning and
14 warrant further review and investigation.
15 (c) "Health care provider" means an obstetrician or maternal fetal
16 medicine physician who meet all of the following criteria:
17 (i) such person is licensed in the state of New York;
18 (ii) such person is an in-network provider for the participating
19 managed care organizations; and
20 (iii) such person provides care for an eligible participant during
21 pregnancy.
22 (d) "Participating managed care organization" means a managed care
23 organization selected by the department to administer the pilot program.
24 (e) "Pilot program" means the maternal health monitoring pilot program
25 established by this section.
26 (f) "Remote monitoring clinical care team" means a group made up of
27 nurses licensed to practice in New York state, dietitians, and certified
28 diabetes education specialists who are monitoring eligible participants'
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14280-01-5
A. 9651 2
1 measurements, and providing nutrition guidance, diabetes and hyperten-
2 sion condition management counseling, and pregnancy and postpartum
3 advice.
4 (g) "Remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and maternal
5 diabetes" means technology provided by the technology vendor that:
6 (i) collects health data from an eligible participant and electron-
7 ically transmits that information securely for interpretation and recom-
8 mendation;
9 (ii) uses devices that are authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Admin-
10 istration;
11 (iii) monitors health data, including blood pressure, weight, blood
12 glucose levels, or other physiological health data as determined by the
13 eligible participant's health care provider;
14 (iv) transmits health data through cellular networks; and
15 (v) provides preprogrammed equipment specifically for each eligible
16 participant.
17 (h) "Technology vendor" means a technology company selected by the
18 department to contract with the participating managed care organizations
19 in administering the pilot program.
20 2. (a) A maternal health monitoring pilot program is hereby estab-
21 lished within the department to offer eligible participants improved
22 maternal health care through remote patient monitoring for maternal
23 hypertension and maternal diabetes. The department shall select one or
24 more participating managed care organizations and one technology vendor
25 to administer the pilot program in a manner to be determined by the
26 department.
27 (b) Each participating managed care organization shall contract
28 directly with the technology vendor to offer remote patient monitoring
29 for maternal hypertension and maternal diabetes and ensure that eligible
30 participants have access to the pilot program.
31 (c) The technology vendor shall meet the following requirements when
32 offering remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and mater-
33 nal diabetes to an eligible participant under the pilot program:
34 (i) ensuring that remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension
35 and maternal diabetes is possible during pregnancy and for up to three
36 months postpartum;
37 (ii) ensuring that a remote patient monitoring device is delivered to
38 each eligible participant;
39 (iii) ensuring that each eligible participant is trained on how to use
40 the remote patient monitoring device;
41 (iv) assigning a program manager to support the implementation and
42 administration of the program and to coordinate efforts with the partic-
43 ipating managed care organizations and the department; and
44 (v) employing a remote monitoring clinical care team that is capable
45 of:
46 (A) monitoring and reviewing eligible participant's health data;
47 (B) creating an escalation pathway with the participating managed care
48 organizations if the eligible participant's remote patient monitoring
49 readings, in conjunction with the eligible participant's symptoms,
50 require additional medical attention;
51 (C) providing health coaching to participants in matters including
52 nutrition, condition management, and healthy behavior modification; and
53 (D) coordinating with the eligible participant's health care provider
54 as needed.
55 3. (a) The department shall implement the pilot program in as many
56 counties as necessary to ensure participation of up to five hundred
A. 9651 3
1 eligible participants. The program must include counties that are
2 considered maternity care deserts based on the March of Dimes latest
3 maternity care desert report.
4 (b) The pilot program shall be operational no later than one hundred
5 eighty days after the contract date between the participating managed
6 care organization and the technology vendor. The pilot program will
7 conclude two years after the pilot program is operational.
8 4. The department shall pay a fee to the participating managed care
9 organizations to administer the pilot program. The participating managed
10 care organizations shall use the fee payment to cover the costs of
11 contracting with the technology vendor and administering the pilot
12 program. The department shall provide six hundred thousand dollars to
13 offset the costs of the pilot program.
14 5. (a) Within two years of the pilot program's implementation, the
15 department shall collaborate with the participating managed care organ-
16 izations and any other relevant stakeholders to develop a report on
17 evaluating the outcomes of the pilot program. The report will look at
18 available data of program participants, including claims data, vital
19 stats data, EHR/EMR data, to determine the pilot program's impact on the
20 following maternal, fetal and neonatal health outcomes to determine
21 whether the program improves maternal, fetal and neonatal health and
22 whether the program will lead to savings to Medicaid.
23 (b) Maternal outcomes to be considered shall include maternal mortal-
24 ity rate, severe maternal morbidity rate, incidences of preeclampsia,
25 the cesarian section rate, the mean length of the eligible participants'
26 hospital stays, the intensive care unit admission rate, the mean length
27 of the intensive care unit stay, and the postpartum hospital readmission
28 rate. Fetal/Neonatal outcomes to be considered shall include the fetal
29 mortality rate, the rate of fetal growth restriction, the neonatal
30 mortality rate, the NICU admissions rate, the mean length of NICU stay,
31 the rate of neonatal hypoglycemia, the preterm birth rate, the gesta-
32 tional age at delivery, and the birthweight.
33 (c) The report will include recommendations regarding whether the
34 pilot program should be expanded throughout New York.
35 (d) The department shall submit the report to the governor, the presi-
36 dent of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the chair of the assem-
37 bly committee on health, the chair of the assembly committee on insur-
38 ance, the chair of the senate committee on health, the chair of the
39 senate committee on insurance and the chair of the senate committee on
40 women's issues.
41 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
42 have become a law.
