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House approves insurance coverage for postpartum home visiting services
Summary
The House passed HB382 requiring private health insurers to cover home‑visiting services for newborns, mothers and young children, proponents said this helps address Louisiana’s high maternal and infant mortality rates and will include coverage caps and reimbursement methods.
House Bill 382, sponsored by Representative Bayham, passed the House on May 6. Bayham said the bill would require private health insurers to cover home-visiting services for newborns, mothers and young children, with the intent of improving screenings and follow-up care after birth.
On the floor Bayham noted Louisiana’s poor maternal and infant mortality rankings and argued home visits could provide blood-pressure checks, wound checks and other screenings to improve outcomes. He said the bill provides a typical coverage cap of up to $1,500 per covered case but that insurers could reimburse for more depending on plan allowances.
Representative Omidy and others asked which providers perform visits and whether the services are state-provided; Bayham replied that insurers would cover visits done by nurses approved by the insurer — they could be independent providers or employed by medical facilities. Bayham said the bill addresses a coverage gap: some insurers cover these services and others do not, and the bill aims to make the coverage more uniform.
Representative Bayham moved final passage; the roll-call indicated 101 yeas and the bill passed without opposition.
