Young, Cassidy, Hassan, Colleagues Introduce Connected MOM Act to Improve Health Care for Expectant Mothers
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Tom Carper (D-Del), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) to introduce bipartisan legislation aimed at improving health care for expectant mothers. The Connected Maternal Online Monitoring Services (MOM) Act requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to provide coverage recommendations for remote devices such as those that can check for irregularities in blood pressure, blood glucose and pulse rates which can be indicators of potential pregnancy complications. It also requires CMS to update state resources, such as state Medicaid telehealth toolkits, to correspond with the recommendations provided. The goal is to improve maternal and infant outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women.
“Research indicates that roughly 60 percent of maternal deaths in the United States can be prevented through patient care, education, and timely interventions. Sadly, Indiana historically has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the country. I’ve been working to tackle this crisis that’s been heightened by the pandemic, and that work continues with the reintroduction of our Connected MOM Act to improve remote care for Hoosier mothers and identify potential issues before they become life-threatening,” said Senator Young.
“Maternal mortality is far too common in Louisiana. Using the latest technology we can save lives,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This bill allows moms with high risk pregnancies, especially in underserved communities, to stay at home while her physician remotely monitors her and her baby’s health.”
“The pandemic has shown how important telehealth is for improving accessibility of care and health outcomes, including for women who have trouble accessing regular prenatal care,” said Senator Hassan. “This bipartisan bill will strengthen maternal health care in underserved communities by working to expand access to devices that enable health care providers to monitor a pregnant woman’s vital signs from the comfort of her home. I will continue working across the aisle to support the health and wellbeing of pregnant women and their babies in New Hampshire and across the country.”