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Senate committee advances 'Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies' package to boost maternal care and Medicaid coverage
Summary
The committee approved legislation to unbundle prenatal/delivery/postpartum payments, expand remote monitoring and cover doulas and community health workers. Sponsors say the bill addresses a maternal health crisis; opponents flagged a provision shortening the malpractice statute-of-limitations window for birth-related injuries.
A bipartisan package dubbed the "Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act" won committee approval after a lengthy presentation and limited debate. Sponsors said the bill addresses Arkansas’ maternal-health challenges by increasing hospital reimbursements for labor and delivery, expanding coverage for remote monitoring and doulas, and speeding eligibility for pregnant women on Medicaid.
Senator (presenter) told the committee the bill was developed with the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health and other stakeholders and reflected recommendations in the governor’s budget. The legislation would unbundle reimbursement for prenatal care, delivery and postpartum care; raise labor-and-delivery payments (the governor proposed a roughly 70% increase in…
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