Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program; establish within Health Dept.

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To: Public Health and Human
Services
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Butler-Washington,
James-Jones, Holloway (27th), Summers

HOUSE BILL NO. 1453

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE MATERNAL HEALTH MONITORING PILOT 1
PROGRAM WITHIN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO OFFER ELIGIBLE 2
PARTICIPANTS IMPROVED MATERNAL HEALTH CARE THROUGH REMOTE PATIENT 3
MONITORING FOR MATERNAL HYPERTENSION AND MATERNAL DIABETES; TO 4
PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SELECT ONE OR MORE PARTICIPATING 5
MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATIONS AND ONE TECHNOLOGY VENDOR TO ADMINISTER 6
THE PILOT PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT SHALL IMPLEMENT 7
THE PILOT PROGRAM IN AS MANY COUNTIES AS NECESSARY TO ENSURE 8
PARTICIPATION OF UP TO THREE HUNDRED ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS; TO 9
PROVIDE THAT THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL CONCLUDE TWO YEARS AFTER THE 10
PROGRAM IS OPERATIONAL; TO PROVIDE THAT WITHIN TWO YEARS AFTER THE 11
PILOT PROGRAM'S IMPLEMENTATION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COLLABORATE 12
WITH THE PARTICIPATING MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATIONS AND ANY OTHER 13
RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP A REPORT ON EVALUATING THE 14
OUTCOMES OF THE PILOT PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE THAT THE REPORT INCLUDE 15
RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHETHER THE PILOT PROGRAM SHOULD BE 16
EXPANDED THROUGHOUT MISSISSIPPI; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 17
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 18
SECTION 1. (1) This act shall be known as the Maternal 19
Health Monitoring Pilot Program. 20
(2) Definitions. As used in this act, the following words 21
and phrases when used in this chapter shall be defined as provided 22
in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: 23
(a) "Department" means the State Department of Health. 24
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(b) "Eligible participant" means a patient who meets 25
all of the following criteria: 26
(i) The patient is a recipient of medical 27
assistance; 28
(ii) The patient is a member of a participating 29
managed care organization; and 30
(iii) The patient is pregnant. 31
(c) "Escalation pathway" means an agreement between the 32
participating managed care organizations and the technology vendor 33
on a process to follow when an eligible participant's measurements 34
are concerning and warrant further review and investigation. 35
(d) "Health care provider" means an obstetrician or 36
maternal fetal medicine physician who meet all of the following 37
criteria: 38
(i) Is licensed in Mississippi; 39
(ii) Is in-network of the participating managed 40
care organizations; and 41
(iii) Cares for an eligible participant during 42
pregnancy. 43
(e) "Participating managed care organizations" means 44
the managed care organizations selected by the department to 45
administer the pilot program. 46
(f) "Pilot program" means the Maternal Health 47
Monitoring Pilot Program. 48
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(g) "Remote monitoring clinical care team" means a team 49
of nurses who are licensed in Mississippi and dietitians who are 50
monitoring eligible participants' measurements. The team also 51
provides nutrition guidance, diabetes and hypertension condition 52
management counseling and pregnancy and postpartum advice. 53
(h) "Remote patient monitoring for maternal 54
hypertension and maternal diabetes" means technology provided by 55
the technology vendor that: 56
(i) Collects health data from an eligible 57
participant and electronically transmits that information securely 58
for interpretation and recommendation; 59
(ii) Uses devices that are authorized by the 60
United States Food and Drug Administration; 61
(iii) Monitors health data, including blood 62
pressure, weight, blood glucose levels, or other physiological 63
health data as determined by the eligible participant's health 64
care provider; 65
(iv) Transmits health data through cellular 66
networks; and 67
(v) Provides preprogrammed equipment specifically 68
for each eligible participant. 69
(i) "Technology vendor" means the technology company 70
selected by the department to contract with the participating 71
managed care organizations in administering the pilot program. 72
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(3) Establishment of pilot program. The Maternal Health 73
Monitoring Pilot Program is established within the department to 74
offer eligible participants improved maternal health care through 75
remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and maternal 76
diabetes. 77
(4) Administration of pilot program. (a) The department 78
shall select one or more participating managed care organizations 79
and one (1) technology vendor to administer the pilot program in a 80
manner determined by the department. 81
(b) The participating managed care organizations shall: 82
(i) Contract directly with a technology vendor to 83
offer remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and 84
maternal diabetes; and 85
(ii) Ensure that eligible participants have access 86
to the pilot program. 87
(5) Remote patient monitoring for maternal hypertension and 88
maternal diabetes requirements. The technology vendor shall meet 89
the following requirements when offering remote patient monitoring 90
for maternal hypertension and maternal diabetes to an eligible 91
participant under the pilot program: 92
(a) Ensure that remote patient monitoring for maternal 93
hypertension and maternal diabetes is possible during pregnancy 94
and for up to three (3) months postpartum; 95
(b) Ensure that remote patient monitoring devices are 96
delivered to the eligible participant; 97
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(c) Ensure that the eligible participant has a process 98
to be trained on how to use the remote patient monitoring devices; 99
(d) Assign a program manager to support implementation 100
and administration of the program and to coordinate efforts with 101
the participating managed care organizations and the department; 102
and 103
(e) Employ a remote monitoring clinical care team that 104
is capable of the following: 105
(i) Monitoring and reviewing eligible 106
participant's health data; 107
(ii) Creating an escalation pathway with the 108
participating managed care organizations if the eligible 109
participant's remote patient monitoring readings, in conjunction 110
with the eligible participant's symptoms, require additional 111
medical attention; 112
(iii) Providing health coaching to participants in 113
matters including nutrition, condition management, and healthy 114
behavior modification; and 115
(iv) Coordinating with the eligible participant's 116
health care provider as needed. 117
(6) Operation of pilot program. (a) The department shall 118
implement the pilot program in as many counties as necessary to 119
ensure participation of up to three hundred (300) eligible 120
participants. 121
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ST: Maternal Health Monitoring Pilot Program;
establish within Health Dept.
(b) The pilot program shall be operational no later 122
than one hundred eighty (180) days after the contract date between 123
the participating managed care organization and the technology 124
vendor. 125
(c) The pilot program shall conclude two (2) years 126
after the program is operational. 127
(7) Report. (a) Within two (2) years after the pilot 128
program's implementation, the department shall collaborate with 129
the participating managed care organizations and any other 130
relevant stakeholders to develop a report on evaluating the 131
outcomes of the pilot program. 132
(b) The report shall include recommendations regarding 133
whether the pilot program should be expanded throughout 134
Mississippi. 135
(c) The department shall submit the report to all of 136
the following: 137
(i) The Governor; 138
(ii) The Lieutenant Governor; 139
(iii) The Speaker of the House; 140
(iv) The Chairs and Vice Chairs of the House 141
Public Health and Human Services Committee, the House Medicaid 142
Committee, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, and the 143
Senate Medicaid Committee. 144
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 145
and after July 1, 2026. 146