Establishes pilot program to provide Medicaid coverage of remote maternal health services for eligible beneficiaries.

A2202 TR

ASSEMBLY, No. 2202

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblyman ANTWAN L. MCCLELLAN

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Murphy, Flynn, Pintor Marin, Haider,
Assemblymen Guardian, Scharfenberger and Simonsen

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes pilot program to provide Medicaid
coverage of remote maternal health services for eligible beneficiaries.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As reported by the Assembly Aging and Human Services
Committee with technical review.

��

An Act

concerning Medicaid coverage of maternal health
services and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� As used in this act:

���� �Department� means the
Department of Human Services.

���� �Health care provider� means a
physician, a certified nurse midwife, a professional midwife, or a midwife who
is licensed pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.

���� �Medicaid� means the New
Jersey Medical Assistance and Health Services Program established pursuant to
P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-1 et seq.)

���� �Remote maternal health
services� means the use of digital technology to collect medical and other
forms of health data from a pregnant Medicaid beneficiary and electronically
transmit this information, in a secure manner, to a health care provider at a distant
site for interpretation and use as part of a diagnosis or a treatment plan.

���� �Remote non-stress test� means
the use of a fetal monitoring device, which is FDA cleared for at-home use to
transmit fetal heart rate, maternal heart rate, and uterine activity to a
remote health care provider.

���� �Remote patient monitoring�
means the use of digital technologies to collect medical and other forms of
health data from patients in one location and electronically transmit that
information securely to health care providers at a different location for analysis,
interpretation, and to make recommendations to, and manage the treatment of,
such patients.� �Remote patient monitoring� shall include the monitoring of
clinical patient data such as weight, blood pressure, pulse oximetry,
respiratory flow rate, musculoskeletal system status, blood glucose levels, and
other patient-generated physiological data.

���� �Tele-ultrasound� means the
use of an ultrasound device that is capable of sharing live streaming of
ultrasound images that are interpreted in real time by a health care provider
that is in a different location than the patient.� Two-way audiovisual communication
with the remote healthcare provider may happen through the ultrasound system or
another device that is compliant with the provisions of the federal �Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.�

���� 2.��� a.� Contingent upon the
receipt of federal reimbursement for eligible State Medicaid expenditures, the
Commissioner of Human Services shall establish a voluntary, three-year pilot
program to provide remote maternal health services to pregnant Medicaid beneficiaries
who are referred to the program by the beneficiary�s health care provider.�

���� b.��� The Commissioner of
Human Services shall, based upon clinical evidence and the recommendations of
experts in the practice of obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine, determine
the menu of remote maternal health services that will be available through the pilot
program, which services shall, at a minimum, include:

���� (1)�� remote patient
monitoring;

���� (2)�� remote non-stress tests;
and

���� (3)�� tele-ultrasound.

���� c.���� Any patient health data
collected and transmitted, pursuant to the remote maternal health services
pilot program, shall be collected and transmitted by a device that is compliant
with the requirements of the federal �Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996� (42 U.S.C. s.1320d et seq.) and that has received
approval for use in this capacity by the United States Food and Drug
Administration.

���� 3.��� a.� A pregnant
individual who is enrolled in the Medicaid program is eligible to participate,
on a voluntary basis, in the remote maternal health services pilot program,
established pursuant to section 2 of this act, provided the Medicaid
beneficiary�s health care provider determines that:

���� (1)� remote maternal health
services meet the standard of care; or

���� (2)� the beneficiary has an
increased likelihood of a high-risk pregnancy due to:

���� (a)� pre-existing medical
conditions, which shall include, but shall not be limited to: HIV or AIDS,
diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, obesity, or polycystic ovary
syndrome;

���� (b)� age at the time of
pregnancy, including beneficiaries between the ages of ten and 19, and those
aged 35 years and older;

���� (c)� lifestyle factors,
including the beneficiary�s use of alcohol, tobacco, or recreational drugs
during pregnancy; or

���� (d)� diagnosed
pregnancy-related conditions, which shall include, but shall not be limited to:
multiple gestation, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, eclampsia, previous
preterm births, or the existence of birth defects or genetic conditions in the
fetus.

���� b.��� The remote maternal
health services pilot program shall be offered to a pregnant Medicaid
beneficiary who does not meet the eligibility requirements established under
paragraph a. of this section, but who resides in a community that lacks a
sufficient number of health care providers who offer obstetric care and participate
in the Medicaid program.

���� c.���� Participation in the
remote maternal health services pilot program shall be offered to a pregnant
Medicaid beneficiary who does not meet the eligibility requirements under
paragraphs a. and b. of this section, but whose health care provider determines
is unable to access consistent obstetric care due to socioeconomic factors,
such as: the beneficiary�s employment schedule, a lack of reliable transportation,
or a lack of reliable child care.

���� d.��� A pregnant Medicaid
beneficiary shall only participate in the remote maternal health services pilot
program upon referral by the beneficiary�s health care provider.

���� e.���� Under no circumstances
shall the State or a health care provider require that a pregnant Medicaid
beneficiary participate in the remote maternal health services pilot program.

���� 4.��� The Commissioner of
Human Services shall apply for such State plan amendments or waivers as may be
necessary to implement the provisions of this act and to secure federal
financial participation for State Medicaid expenditures under the federal
Medicaid program.

���� 5.��� The Commissioner of
Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the
"Administrative Procedure Act" P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.)
to implement the provisions of this act.

���� 6.� This act shall take effect
immediately, but shall remain inoperative until the Commissioner of Human
Services receives any federal approvals following the submission of
applications for State plan amendments or waivers pursuant to section 4 of this
act.�