AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to maternal health.
Summary
HB0867 creates a maternal health monitoring pilot program within TennCare to provide remote patient monitoring for pregnant Medicaid recipients who have maternal hypertension or maternal diabetes. The program is intended to improve outcomes for higher-risk pregnancies by supplying monitoring devices, training participants to use them, and connecting them with a healthcare provider or nursing team that can review data, provide coaching, and escalate care when readings or symptoms indicate urgent needs.
The bill defines key terms and sets operational requirements for the pilot, including coverage during the second and third trimesters and up to three months postpartum. It requires the bureau of TennCare to select a managed care organization and technology vendor, ensure devices can transmit data even without broadband access, and establish a process for participant training and care coordination. The pilot must reach at least 300 eligible participants across as many counties as needed, begin within 180 days after contracting, and be evaluated through annual reports to legislative leaders with recommendations on whether to expand statewide.
Impact
The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Titles 71 and related health licensing provisions by adding a new part to Title 71 governing a TennCare maternal health monitoring pilot. It authorizes TennCare to administer the program, contract with a managed care organization and FDA-authorized technology vendor, and promulgate rules to implement the pilot. The bill also contemplates an initial appropriation of $600,000 in fiscal year 2025-2026 and each subsequent fiscal year, subject to appropriations or available funds, to offset program costs.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong support and no recorded opposition in committee, with unanimous or near-unanimous favorable recommendations at each step listed. The bill’s framing around poor maternal health outcomes, remote monitoring, and improved access for high-risk pregnancies suggests broadly positive sentiment among lawmakers reviewing it. No committee transcript is provided, so there is no evidence of substantive floor or committee debate in the materials supplied.
Contention
The main policy questions appear to be administrative and fiscal rather than ideological: how TennCare will select and oversee the managed care organization and vendor, how the pilot will be funded, and whether the program should eventually be expanded statewide. The bill also raises implementation issues around device delivery, participant training, broadband limitations, and coordination between providers, the vendor, and the managed care organization. No explicit opposition is reflected in the vote record provided, but the funding commitment and pilot design are the most likely areas for scrutiny.
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