Senate Approves Maternity Care Bills

Bills Sponsored by Pou, Cryan, Ruiz & Greenstein Advanced

Trenton – The Senate approved multiple bills concerning the quality of maternal health care in the state sponsored by Senator Nellie Pou, Senator Joseph Cryan, Senator M. Teresa Ruiz and Senator Linda Greenstein.

The bills are part of a larger maternal care package currently moving through the legislature. They come in response to New Jersey’s maternal mortality rate being one of the highest in the nation.

“It’s clear New Jersey can improve maternity care across the board,” said Senator Pou (D-Bergen/Passaic). “With 42% of New Jersey births being paid for by Medicaid, we have a lot of impact on the efficiency of services as well as the ability to boost incentives for the best care possible. It is great to be a part of a legislative body that is so dedicated to maternity care in this state.”

“It is common for women to become depressed during pregnancy or after giving birth, but it often goes undiagnosed and untreated,” said Senator Cryan (D-Union). “By securing federal funding to address maternal mental health we can make real progress to improve the health and wellbeing of pregnant women and new mothers in the state.”

“It is crucial that we empower women with the resources they need to be proactive and make informed decisions about their reproductive health,” said Senator Ruiz (D-Essex). “When women know their options and plan ahead they are better able to align their reproductive care with their health needs and long term goals.”

“Many new parents and soon-to-be parents are at a loss of where to turn for support,” said Senator Greenstein (Mercer/Middlesex). “Generating awareness for the resources available and expanding the guidance provided to parents will help to improve the health of mothers and new babies across the state.”

• S.3365 – Sponsored by Senator Pou and Senator Cryan, the bill would establish a perinatal episode of care pilot program in Medicaid. The bill was released from the Senate by a vote of 38-0.

• S. 3375 – Sponsored by Senator Ruiz and Senator Greenstein, the bill would establish a maternal health care pilot program to evaluate shared decision-making tools developed by the DOH and used by birthing centers and hospitals providing maternity services. The bill was released from the Senate by a vote of 37-0.

• S. 3378 – Sponsored by Senator Ruiz and Senator Greenstein, the bill would prohibit Medicaid, State Health Benefits and School Employee Health Benefits from covering certain non-medically indicated early elective deliveries. The bill was released from the Senate by a vote of 35-1.