ASSEMBLY, No. 2655
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 14, 2022
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman GABRIELA M. MOSQUERA
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblywoman LISA SWAIN
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Jaffer, Dunn, McKnight, Speight, Assemblymen Stanley and Conaway
SYNOPSIS
Establishes requirements concerning provision of postpartum care, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth information and development of individualized postpartum care plans.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Health Committee on November 20, 2023, with amendments.
An Act concerning postpartum care 1, pregnancy loss, stillbirth,1 and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Pregnancy is a significant health event in the lives of many women that presents unique physical, mental, and medical issues, many of which a woman will not encounter at any other point in her life.
b. Women experiencing pregnancy, particularly a first pregnancy, frequently lack information and guidance concerning many of the physical symptoms encountered during and after pregnancy. Because so many aspects of a woman’s body change during pregnancy, it can be difficult to determine when a particular symptom is normal or may be a sign of an adverse complication that requires medical attention, particularly with regard to symptoms occurring during the postpartum period 1and after a pregnancy loss or stillbirth1.
c. Maternal mortality and morbidity rates have increased over the last 20 years both in New Jersey and nationwide, which increased rates have disproportionately affected minority communities. In many cases, the common causes of maternal mortality, including 1[high blood pressure,]1 excessive bleeding1[,]1 and infection, are preventable if diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Moreover, postpartum 1, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth1 issues that are not typically fatal 1[, such as postpartum depression,]1 can seriously affect a woman’s quality of life if left untreated.
d. Frequently, postpartum issues cannot be detected before the woman is discharged from the hospital. Many symptoms do not manifest until after the woman has returned home, and issues may occur up to one year after birth. It is estimated that between one-third and one-half of pregnancy-associated deaths occur during the postpartum period. All women are susceptible to postpartum complications, not just those identified as “high risk” for complications during pregnancy.
e. As many as 40 percent of women never seek out or receive postpartum care, which represents a missed opportunity to screen for postpartum issues and provide necessary medical care.
f. Although New Jersey has taken significant steps to improve the provision of maternity care in this State, more needs to be done to ensure that women have the information and resources necessary to enable them to identify and seek treatment for potentially fatal postpartum 1, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth1 issues.
g. Therefore, it is essential that women have the opportunity to develop an individualized postpartum treatment plan in the course of prenatal care and that they be provided with postpartum care1, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth1 information prior to discharge, including information about normal and abnormal postpartum symptoms, to enable them to make informed observations about their postpartum 1, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth1 experiences and seek out medical care when needed.
2. a. Health care professionals, including physicians, advanced practice nurses, certified nurse midwives, and midwives, who provide prenatal maternity care to a woman shall ensure that the woman has the opportunity to develop a comprehensive personalized postpartum care plan that is consistent with her anticipated postpartum needs and plans. 1[At a minimum, each plan shall include the designation of a medical home where the woman may access care and support during the period between the end of the pregnancy and the comprehensive postpartum visit.]1 If the woman does not have a 1postpartum assessment and individualized care1 plan 1[in place]1, the health care professional shall offer to consult with the woman to develop a plan. 1The Department of Health shall develop a standard postpartum assessment and individualized care plan and distribute such plan to healthcare professionals who provide prenatal maternity care.1
b. Each general hospital, ambulatory care facility, and birthing center licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) that provides maternity care services shall ensure that, prior to discharge following the end of a pregnancy 1, pregnancy loss, or stillbirth1, each woman receiving maternity care services is provided with postpartum care information, including information concerning the potential health issues that may occur during the postpartum period 1, or after a pregnancy loss or stillbirth,1 and a description of the risks, warning signs, and symptoms of medically-significant complications that may occur during the postpartum period, 1, or after a pregnancy loss or stillbirth,1 including 1, but not limited to, worsening of mental health or substance use disorders, postpartum pre-eclampsia, seizures, blood clots,1 severe bleeding, 1[high blood pressure,] and1 infection 1[, and depression]1. For the purposes of providing postpartum care information pursuant to this subsection, hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, and birthing centers that provide maternity care services 1, in consultation with and following the guidance of the Department of Health and the Maternal Care Quality Collaborative,1 shall adopt uniform policies, procedures, and protocols, including standardized educational modules and training materials, that are consistent with best practices and national standards for postpartum care and the recognition and prevention of postpartum complications.
3. This act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment.