Maternal Care Bills Pass House Committee

March 24, 2022

A pair of bills relating to maternal care were heard in the House Health Finance and Policy Committee on March 22.  

HF4146 and HF4145, both authored by Rep. Kelly Morrison, MD, (DFL, Deephaven), were laid over for possible inclusion in the House Health and Human Services omnibus bill. 

Last session, lawmakers passed legislation that removed the requirement of physicians to report to social services pregnant women who are using or abusing controlled substances. The legislation allowed provider discretion as long as the woman was continuing prenatal care and working with her provider on her care plan. The MMA, the Minnesota Chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other advocacy groups supported this change with the intention that it helped healthcare providers build trust with their patients, leading to improved outcomes for both mothers and babies. 

However, the practice of mandatory reporting is continuing as healthcare systems are unclear when it is appropriate to report or not. HF4146 establishes a Task Force on Maternal Health and Substance Use Disorder that will be made up of legislators, healthcare practitioners, law enforcement, and others to develop uniform standards for when medical professionals should or must administer and report the results of toxicology tests for prenatal exposure to a controlled substance. The task force would also evaluate family-focused substance use disorder treatment models. 

The MMA wrote a letter in support, stating HF4146 is “the next step to ensuring that pregnant women receive prenatal medical care without fear of being reported to law enforcement or child protective services.” The letter went on to state that “Minnesota continues to have large disparities in how healthcare services are provided, including in maternity care. Removing all barriers for women to receive critical prenatal care is one step we can take to ensure healthy outcomes for all moms and kids.”  

HF4145 requires Medical Assistance (MA) and MinnesotaCare to reimburse for the provision of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) immediately following a delivery, if requested by the women. The bill also makes it clear that the placement and removal of LARCs shall not require a co-payment and deductible by the patient. Currently, the Department of Human Services says they cover LARCs, but that the cost is included in the global payment made for a delivery. 

LARC methods such as intra-uterine devices (IUDs) and subdermal contraceptive implants are among the most effective forms of contraception. They can be safely placed immediately following childbirth prior to hospital discharge. In the U.S., an estimated 45% of pregnancies are unintended, and one-third of all pregnancies are conceived within 18 months of delivery. The bill attempts to ensure access to contraception in the postpartum period to reduce unintended pregnancy, improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes, and reduce costs.