A bill to establish a remote maternal health monitoring program has been referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
The legislation, sponsored by Senators Amanda Capelletti (D-Norristown), Judy Schwank (D-Reading), Maria Collett (D-Fort Washington), Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-Shamokin Dam), and Rosemary Brown (R-Scotrun), seeks to improve health outcomes for pregnant women who cannot regularly access doctors’ offices.
The proposal would create a pilot program through the Department of Health to provide remote monitoring for signs of hypertension and diabetes, conditions that can threaten the lives of both mother and child if untreated. The program is intended to address maternity care shortages in rural areas.
According to the bill’s sponsors, remote patient monitoring allows providers to track key health indicators in real time, intervene early when complications arise, and reduce maternal mortality and healthcare costs.
The measure follows recent maternal healthcare legislation, including two bills passed in July by Rep. La’Tasha Mayes requiring insurers to cover home blood pressure monitors for pregnant and postpartum women.
