Provides for the reporting to the department of health of the birth of premature, low birth weight and high risk infants and of hospital admissions within 6 months of birth

Summary of provisions

Section 1 adds a new section 2816-b to the public health law which:

(1) Defines premature infant, low birth weight infant and high risk infant;

(2) Requires general hospitals within ten days after the birth of premature, low birth weight or high risk infants to file written information on the birth to the department of health;

(3) Requires general hospitals within the first six months of birth of premature, low birth weight or high risk infants to file written information to the department of health on the admission of the infants to the hospital and the cause or causes of such admission;

(4) Requires the department of health to submit an annual report beginning January 1, 2015 to the Governor and leaders of the Senate and Assembly on the status of premature, low birth weight and high risk infants. The report would include information about the incidence and cause of re-admissions and recommendations for improvement of health outcomes for such infants;

(5) Requires the department of health to develop standardized processes for hospital discharge and follow up care for premature, low birth weight and high risk infants and ensure that the processes are followed when such infants leave the hospital and transition to care in the community. In developing the processes for discharge and follow up care, the department would be required to utilize national evidence-based guidelines as well as data from the required annual report; and

(6) Allows the health commissioner to promulgate and enforce rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of the section.

Section 2. Provides for the effective date.

Justification

In 2010, there were 28,124 preterm births (at less than 37 weeks) in New York, representing 11.5% of live births. Between 2000 and 2010, the rate of infants born preterm in New York increased nearly 4%. According to the Institute of Medicine, the overall cost of preterm birth in the United States is estimated at 526.2 billion, or $51,600 for every infant born prematurely. Many of these costs are paid by State Medicaid programs. For instance, in 2003 41% of total births in the United State were paid for by Medicaid.

In order to better track the number of infants who are born premature, at low birth weight or high risk and the number of hospital readmissions for these infants in their first months of life, this legislation requires hospitals to report the birth and any subsequent hospital admissions of such infants to the State Department of Health including information on the cause or causes of re-admissions.

Further in an effort to improve health outcomes of premature infants, the legislation requires the Department of Health to issue an annual report with information on the incidence and causes of hospital re-admissions for these infants and recommendations for improvements of health outcomes. Further it requires the State Health Department to develop standardized processes for hospital discharge and follow up care that is provided to these infants in the community. The adoption of these recommendations and quality measures will help to reduce the number of hospital re-admissions of premature infants during their first year of life, keeping infants healthier and significantly reducing the related health care costs of hospital re-admissions.

Other states have enacted similar legislation to improve the quality of health care for premature, low birth weight and other at risk infants as proposed in this legislation including Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri and others.

Legislative history

New bill

Fiscal implications

None

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law, provided that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made on or before such effective date.