Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0158*

HOUSE BILL 158
J1 6lr1438
(PRE–FILED)
By: Delegate Woods
Requested: October 29, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Health

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Maryland Medical Assistance Program – Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot 2
Program 3

FOR the purpose of establishing the Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program in the 4
Maryland Department of Health to support pregnant and postpartum Maryland 5
Medical Assistance Program recipients who have higher risks of pregnancy 6
complications because of maternal hypertension or maternal diabetes; and generally 7
relating to the Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program. 8

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – Health – General 10
Section 15–101(a) and (h) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

BY adding to 14
Article – Health – General 15
Section 15–1301 and 15–1302 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 1 3. Maternal 16
Health Monitoring Pilot Program” 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21

Article – Health – General 22

15–101. 23

(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 24
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(h) “Program” means the Maryland Medical Assistance Program. 1

SUBTITLE 13. MATERNAL HEALTH MONITORING PILOT PROGRAM. 2

15–1301. 3

(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 4
INDICATED. 5

(B) “ESCALATION PATHWAY ” MEANS AN AGREEMENT B ETWEEN A 6
PARTICIPATING MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION AN D A TECHNOLOGY VENDOR ON 7
THE PROCEDURE TO BE USED WHEN AN ELIGIBLE PAR TICIPANT’S HEALTH DATA 8
WARRANTS FURTHER REVIEW AND INVESTIGATION. 9

(C) “HEALTH CARE PROVIDER ” MEANS AN OBSTETRICIA N OR A 10
MATERNAL–FETAL MEDICINE PHYSICIAN WHO IS: 11

(1) LICENSED IN THE STATE; AND 12

(2) CARING FOR A PARTICIPANT. 13

(D) “MATERNAL DIABETES” MEANS DIABETES THAT: 14

(1) DEVELOPED PRIOR TO PR EGNANCY AND CONTINUE S DURING 15
PREGNANCY; OR 16

(2) DEVELOPS DURING PREGNANCY. 17

(E) “MATERNAL HYPERTENSION” MEANS HYPERTENSION THAT: 18

(1) DEVELOPED PRIOR TO PR EGNANCY AND CONTINUE S DURING 19
PREGNANCY; OR 20

(2) DEVELOPS DURING PREGNANCY. 21

(F) “PARTICIPANT” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO MEETS THE 22
REQUIREMENTS OF § 15–1302 OF THIS SUBTITLE AND IS PARTICIPATING IN THE 23
PILOT PROGRAM. 24

(G) “PARTICIPATING MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION” MEANS A MANAGED 25
CARE ORGANIZATION SELECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO ADMINISTER THE PILOT 26
PROGRAM. 27

HOUSE BILL 158 3

(H) “PILOT PROGRAM” MEANS THE MATERNAL HEALTH MONITORING 1
PILOT PROGRAM. 2

(I) “REMOTE PATIENT MONITO RING” MEANS THE USE OF TEC HNOLOGY 3
THAT: 4

(1) COLLECTS HEALTH DATA FROM AN ELIGIBL E PARTICIPANT AND 5
ELECTRONICALLY TRANS MITS THE DATA SECURE LY THROUGH CELLULAR 6
NETWORKS; 7

(2) IS AUTHORIZED BY THE FEDERAL FOOD AND DRUG 8
ADMINISTRATION; AND 9

(3) MONITORS HEALTH DATA, INCLUDING: 10

(I) BLOOD PRESSURE; 11

(II) WEIGHT; 12

(III) BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS; AND 13

(IV) ANY OTHER PHYSIOLOGIC AL HEALTH DATA DETER MINED 14
NECESSARY BY THE PARTICIPANT’S HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. 15

(J) “TECHNOLOGY VENDOR ” MEANS THE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY 16
SELECTED AND CONTRAC TED WITH BY A PARTICIPATING MAN AGED CARE 17
ORGANIZATION. 18

15–1302. 19

(A) THERE IS A MATERNAL HEALTH MONITORING PILOT PROGRAM IN THE 20
DEPARTMENT. 21

(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM IS TO SUPPORT PREGNANT AND 22
POSTPARTUM PROGRAM RECIPIENTS WH O HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF PREGNANCY 23
COMPLICATIONS BECAUSE OF MATERNAL HYPERTENSION OR MATERNAL DIABETES. 24

(C) A PROGRAM RECIPIENT IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM IF THE 25
PROGRAM RECIPIENT: 26

(1) IS PREGNANT; 27

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(2) IS A N ENROLLEE IN A PARTICIPATING MANAGE D CARE 1
ORGANIZATION; AND 2

(3) HAS BEEN D IAGNOSED WITH MATERN AL HYPERTENSION OR 3
MATERNAL DIABETES. 4

(D) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 5

(I) SELECT AT LEAST ONE MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION TO 6
ADMINISTER THE PILOT PROGRAM IN A MANNER D ETERMINED BY THE 7
DEPARTMENT; AND 8

(II) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , PAY A 9
$2,000 FEE PER PARTICIPANT TO A PARTICIPATING MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION 10
TO ADMINISTER THE PILOT PROGRAM. 11

(2) THE TOTAL AMOUNT AWARDED BY THE PROGRAM TO 12
PARTICIPATING MANAGE D CARE ORGANIZATION S UNDER PARAGRAPH (1)(II) OF 13
THIS SUBSECTION MAY NOT EXCEED $600,000. 14

(E) A PARTICIPATING MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION SHALL: 15

(1) CONTRACT WITH A TECHNOLOGY VENDOR TO OFFER REMOTE 16
PATIENT MONITORING SERVICES TO PARTICIPANTS; 17

(2) REIMBURSE THE TECHNOL OGY VENDOR FOR THE C OST OF 18
PROVIDING REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING SERVICES AND DEVICES; AND 19

(3) ENSURE PARTICIPANTS H AVE ACCESS TO REMOTE MONITORING 20
SERVICES UNDER THE PILOT PROGRAM. 21

(F) THE TECHNOLOGY VENDOR SHALL: 22

(1) PROVIDE PREPROGRAMMED TECHNOLOGY SPECIFIC TO EACH 23
PARTICIPANT; AND 24

(2) ENSURE THAT: 25

(I) REMOTE PATIENT MONITO RING OCCURS DURING T HE 26
PARTICIPANT’S SECOND AND THIRD T RIMESTERS AND FOR UP TO 3 MONTHS 27
POSTPARTUM; 28

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(II) REMOTE PATIENT MONITO RING DEVICES ARE DEL IVERED 1
TO EACH PARTICIPANT; AND 2

(III) EACH PARTICIPANT IS T RAINED ON HOW TO USE THE 3
REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING DEVICE. 4

(G) (1) THE TECHNOLOGY VENDOR SHALL EMPLOY A CLINICAL TEAM 5
THAT INCLUDES: 6

(I) A NURSE LICENSED IN THE STATE; 7

(II) A DIETITIAN–NUTRITIONIST LICENSED IN THE STATE; AND 8

(III) A CERTIFIED DIABETES CARE AND EDUCATION SPECIALIST. 9

(2) THE CLINICAL TEAM EMPLOYED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 10
SUBSECTION SHALL SUPPORT EACH PARTICIPANT BY: 11

(I) MONITORING AND REVIEWING THE PARTICIPANT’S HEALTH 12
DATA; 13

(II) ESTABLISHING, IN COLLABORATION WIT H A 14
PARTICIPATING MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION, AN ESCALATION PATHWAY TO BE 15
COMPLIED WITH IF THE PARTICIPANT’S REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING READINGS 16
AND SYMPTOMS REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION FROM THE PARTICIPANT ’S 17
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER; AND 18

(III) PROVIDING HEALTH COAC HING TO EACH PARTICI PANT 19
REGARDING: 20

1. CONDITION MANAGEMENT; 21

2. HEALTH BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION; AND 22

3. NUTRITION. 23

(H) THE TECHNOLOGY VENDOR SHALL ASSIGN A PROGRAM MANAGER TO: 24

(1) SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PILOT PROGRAM; AND 25

(2) COORDINATE EFFORTS BE TWEEN THE DEPARTMENT AND THE 26
PARTICIPATING MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION. 27

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(I) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENSURE THAT PARTICIPATION IN THE PILOT 1
PROGRAM REPRESENTS THE GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY OF THE STATE AND INCLUDES 2
A STATISTICALLY RELEVANT NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS. 3

(J) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2028, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE 4
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN APPROPRIATION OF $600,000 TO THE PROGRAM. 5

(K) THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL OPERATE DURING FISCAL YEARS 2027 6
AND 2028. 7

(L) (1) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2028, THE DEPARTMENT, IN 8
CONJUNCTION WITH THE PARTICIPATING MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE 9
TECHNOLOGY VENDORS, SHALL REPORT ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO 10
THE GOVERNOR AND, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT 11
ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 12

(2) IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE 13
REPORT REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION S HALL PROVIDE 14
INFORMATION ON THE IMPACT OF THE PILOT PROGRAM ON: 15

(I) MARYLAND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM COSTS; 16

(II) MATERNAL OUTCOMES, INCLUDING: 17

1. THE RATE OF: 18

A. MATERNAL MORTALITY; 19

B. SEVERE MATERNAL MORBIDITY; 20

C. CAESAREAN SECTIONS; 21

D. INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (ICU) ADMISSIONS; AND 22

E. POSTPARTUM HOSPITAL READMISSIONS; 23

2. THE MEAN LENGTH OF HOSPITAL STAY; AND 24

3. PREECLAMPSIA; AND 25

(III) FETAL AND NEONATAL OUTCOMES, INCLUDING: 26

1. THE RATE OF: 27
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A. FETAL MORTALITY; 1

B. FETAL GROWTH RESTRICTION; 2

C. NEONATAL MORTALITY; AND 3

D. NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (NICU) 4
ADMISSIONS; 5

2. THE MEAN LENGTH OF STAY IN THE NICU; 6

3. NEONATAL HYPOGLYCEMIA; 7

4. PRETERM BIRTHS; 8

5. GESTATIONAL AGE AT DELIVERY; AND 9

6. BIRTHWEIGHT. 10

(3) IN DETERMINING THE PILOT PROGRAM’S IMPACT ON THE ITEMS 11
LISTED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL 12
EXAMINE AVAILABLE PARTICIPANT DATA, INCLUDING: 13

(I) CLAIMS DATA; 14

(II) VITAL STATISTICS DATA; 15

(III) ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS; AND 16

(IV) ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS. 17

(4) THE REPORT REQUIRED UNDER PARAG RAPH (1) OF THIS 18
SUBSECTION SHALL INCLUDE RECOMM ENDATIONS REGARDING WHETHER THE 19
PILOT PROGRAM SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED STATEWIDE. 20

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 21
1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and, at the end of June 30, 202 9, 22
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 23
of no further force and effect. 24