Momnibus V – Making it easier for Pregnant Medicaid Patients to monitor their blood pressure

House and Senate Democrats have introduced a package of bills collectively referred to as the 2022 Delaware Momnibus. These bills address maternal and infant health, and specifically child and maternal mortality, doulas, incarcerated pregnant persons, and aid to new parents. We have profiled several of these bills yesterday and will be finishing up today with two more bills.

House Bill 346 would remove the requirement that a pregnant patient enrolled in the state Medicaid program receive prior authorization for an automated take home blood pressure cuff when the automated take home blood pressure cuff is recommended by their doctor.

Monitoring blood pressure is an important part of prenatal care because the first sign of preeclampsia is commonly a rise in blood pressure. Left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious, even fatal, complications for a woman and her baby. Remote monitoring provides the opportunity to promptly detect preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications for which high blood pressure is a symptom.

House Bill 346 Sponsors	Yes Votes	No Votes
Minor-Brown, Dorsey Walker, Heffernan, Baumbach, Bolden, Morrison, Wilson-Anton
Poore, Townsend, Lockman, McBride, Gay, Hansen, Sokola
Current Status: House Health & Human Development 3/16/22

“No woman should be denied access to critical health care services simply because of their insurance plan,” said Sen. Nicole Poore, D-New Castle. “Monitoring blood pressure is an important part of prenatal care because a spike in blood pressure is often the first sign of preeclampsia. That’s why I proudly support HB 346, which would eliminate the need for pregnant Medicaid patients to receive prior authorization for a take-home blood pressure cuff.”