Directs the commissioner of health to establish a program to engage at-risk pregnant women in early and continuous prenatal care

Title of bill

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to directing the commissioner of health to establish a program to engage at-risk pregnant women in early and continuous prenatal care to prevent complications during childbirth

Purpose

Babies born prematurely, who are more likely to suffer from a variety of health conditions, have a disproportionate impact on the overall costs of health care, This bill creates a program designed for the early identification of women who are at-risk to deliver preterm and focuses attention on their medical care in order to minimize the likelihood that they will give birth to premature babies.

Summary of provisions

The bill establishes a community-based outreach program which will enable high risk pregnant women, through psycho-social care management and obstetric evaluation, to engage in early and continuous prenatal care for the prevention of complications during childbirth and the reduction of neonatal intensive care admissions.

Existing law

None.

Justification

According to a July 2006 report published by the Institute of Medicine, the rate of preterm births, which cost society $26 billion a year, has increased 30% since 1981. Costs associated with such births approximate $52,000 per infant born preterm and include those for medical care, early intervention, special education services and maternal delivery, as well as lost household and labor market productivity. Similarly, the March of Dimes estimates, it maintains conservatively, that lifetime medical costs for babies born prematurely approach $500,000. It likewise asserts that premature babies, who are more likely to suffer from cerebral palsy, chronic lung disease, mental retardation and vision and hearing loss, "spend nearly 17 days in the hospital over the 12 months following birth, compared to 2 to 3 days for healthy, full term babies and visit the doctor's office 50% more often." Further, women who give birth to premature babies miss over 50% more time from work during the six months following delivery than do women who deliver full-term babies.

Acknowledging the impact of such statistics on the overall delivery of health care to society, many physicians contend that a more effective way to combat the problem of premature births is to emphasize medical care for pregnant mothers, thereby shifting the focus of such care from survival of a premature newborn to the prevention of circumstances leading to preterm birth. The Monroe Plan Healthy Beginnings Program, implemented in Monroe County and upon which this bill is based, provides enhanced care management to high-risk pregnant women and has been successful in reducing the number of neonatal intensive care unit admissions (NICU) over 50%. Such progress has been facilitated by the program's practice of coupling psycho-social care management with observation from obstetricians and prenatal care assistance providers.

The implementation of this initiative, which was identified by the Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc. as one of five Medicaid "Best Buys" for 2007, will potentially result in Medicaid NICU savings of $27 million (13.5 million state share) in the first year and $80 million ($40 million state share) by the third year.

Legislative history

New bill. FISCAL IMPLICATIONS : To be determined.

Local fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.