Senate Advances 48-Hour Postpartum Coverage Bill After Mother's Testimony

Senators on Feb. 9 adopted a substitute to S.B. 138 that sets a 48-hour baseline for postpartum insurance coverage while preserving medical judgment and allowing shorter stays when appropriate. Sponsor Senator Howell framed the bill as addressing so-called "drive-through deliveries," while preserving physician and patient discretion.

During committee-as-a-whole proceedings, Christine Tester, a woman who gave birth six weeks earlier, told senators she was discharged after 24 hours and was not physically ready to go home: "At the point after I had 24 hours after I had my child, I hadn't even stood up yet out of bed... I still had a catheter hooked up. I hadn't taken a shower. I would have preferred a full day and another night's rest in the hospital if that would have been possible." Her brief testimony was cited by sponsors as evidence of the policy's real-world need.

Senator Howell said intent language would direct the Department of Health to establish rules for home health services if mothers are discharged earlier than recommended; those services could include registered-nurse visits, parent education and lactation assistance, with the first visit performed by a registered nurse, physician or certified midwife.

The Senate adopted the substitute and moved the bill to the third-reading calendar. Senators debated the balance between reducing unnecessary costs under managed care and preserving patient safety and quality; supporters said the bill leaves decisions in doctors' hands while ensuring coverage for longer stays when medically appropriate.

What happens next: S.B. 138 will return on third reading for final passage; sponsors plan to finalize intent language and any necessary fiscal or administrative clarifications.