SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE, No. 3405

 

with committee amendments

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED:  MARCH 4, 2019

 

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3405.

      As amended by the committee, this bill provides for an expansion of the State Medicaid program to include coverage of group prenatal care services under certain circumstances.  As used in the bill, “group prenatal care services” means a series of prenatal care visits provided in a group setting which are based upon the CenteringPregnancy model developed by the Centering Healthcare Institute and which include health assessments, social and clinical support, and educational activities.

      Specifically, the amended bill provides that coverage under the Medicaid program includes expenses incurred for the provision of group prenatal care services to a pregnant woman, provided that:

      (1)  the provider of services is a site accredited by the Centering Healthcare Institute that utilizes the CenteringPregnancy model and the provider incorporates the applicable information outlined in any best practices manual for prenatal and postpartum maternal care developed by the Department of Health into the curriculum for each group prenatal visit;

      (2)  each group prenatal care visit is at least 1.5 hours in duration, with a minimum of two women and a maximum of 20 women in participation; and 

      (3)  no more than 10 group prenatal care visits occur per pregnancy.

 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments remove language that would have established an age range for pregnant women to receive coverage under the bill and make various technical corrections.