Tech to Save Moms Act

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 893 To support the use of technology in maternal health care. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 23, 2021 Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself and Mr. SULLIVAN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Edu- cation, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To support the use of technology in maternal health care. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Tech to Save Moms 4 Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. INTEGRATED TELEHEALTH MODELS IN MATERNITY 6 CARE SERVICES. 7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1115A(b)(2)(B) of the 8 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1315a(b)(2)(B)) is amend- 9 ed by adding at the end the following: 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 893 IS ‘‘(xxviii) Focusing on title XIX, pro- 1 viding for the adoption of and use of tele- 2 health tools that allow for screening, moni- 3 toring, and management of common health 4 complications with respect to an individual 5 receiving medical assistance during such 6 individual’s pregnancy and for not more 7 than a 1-year period beginning on the last 8 day of the pregnancy.’’. 9 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 10 subsection (a) shall take effect 1 year after the date of 11 enactment of this Act. 12 SEC. 3. GRANTS TO EXPAND THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY-EN- 13 ABLED COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND CA- 14 PACITY MODELS FOR PREGNANT AND 15 POSTPARTUM INDIVIDUALS. 16 Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended 17 by inserting after section 330N (42 U.S.C. 254c–19) the 18 following: 19 ‘‘SEC. 330O. EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR MATERNAL 20 HEALTH OUTCOMES. 21 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Beginning not later than 1 22 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Sec- 23 retary shall award grants to eligible entities to evaluate, 24 develop, and expand the use of technology-enabled collabo- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 893 IS rative learning and capacity building models and improve 1 maternal health outcomes— 2 ‘‘(1) in health professional shortage areas; 3 ‘‘(2) in areas with high rates of maternal mor- 4 tality and severe maternal morbidity; 5 ‘‘(3) in areas with significant racial and ethnic 6 disparities in maternal health outcomes; and 7 ‘‘(4) for medically underserved populations and 8 American Indians and Alaska Natives, including In- 9 dian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian 10 organizations. 11 ‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.— 12 ‘‘(1) REQUIRED USES.—Recipients of grants 13 under this section shall use the grants to— 14 ‘‘(A) train maternal health care providers, 15 students, and other similar professionals 16 through models that include— 17 ‘‘(i) methods to increase safety and 18 health care quality; 19 ‘‘(ii) methods to address implicit bias, 20 racism, and discrimination; 21 ‘‘(iii) best practices in screening for 22 maternal mental health conditions and 23 substance use disorders and, as needed, 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 893 IS evaluating and treating such conditions 1 and disorders; 2 ‘‘(iv) training on best practices in ma- 3 ternity care for pregnant and postpartum 4 individuals during the COVID–19 public 5 health emergency or future public health 6 emergencies; 7 ‘‘(v) methods to screen for social de- 8 terminants of maternal health risks in the 9 prenatal and postpartum; and 10 ‘‘(vi) the use of remote patient moni- 11 toring tools for pregnancy-related com- 12 plications described in section 13 1115A(b)(2)(B)(xxviii); 14 ‘‘(B) evaluate and collect information on 15 the affect of such models on— 16 ‘‘(i) access to and quality of care; 17 ‘‘(ii) outcomes with respect to the 18 health of an individual; 19 ‘‘(iii) the experience of individuals who 20 receive pregnancy-related health care; 21 ‘‘(C) develop qualitative and quantitative 22 measures to identify best practices for the ex- 23 pansion and use of such models; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •S 893 IS ‘‘(D) study the effect of such models on 1 patient outcomes and maternity care providers; 2 and 3 ‘‘(E) conduct any other activity, as deter- 4 mined by the Secretary. 5 ‘‘(2) PERMISSIBLE USES.—Recipients of grants 6 under this section may use grants to support— 7 ‘‘(A) the use and expansion of technology- 8 enabled collaborative learning and capacity 9 building models, including hardware and soft- 10 ware that— 11 ‘‘(i) enables distance learning and 12 technical support; and 13 ‘‘(ii) supports the secure exchange of 14 electronic health information; and 15 ‘‘(B) maternity care providers, students, 16 and other similar professionals in the provision 17 of maternity care through such models. 18 ‘‘(c) APPLICATION.— 19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity seeking a 20 grant under subsection (a) shall submit to the Sec- 21 retary an application, at such time, in such manner, 22 and containing such information as the Secretary 23 may require. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •S 893 IS ‘‘(2) ASSURANCE.—An application under para- 1 graph (1) shall include an assurance that such entity 2 shall collect information on, and assess the affect of, 3 the use of technology-enabled collaborative learning 4 and capacity building models, including with respect 5 to— 6 ‘‘(A) maternal health outcomes; 7 ‘‘(B) access to maternal health care serv- 8 ices; 9 ‘‘(C) quality of maternal health care; and 10 ‘‘(D) retention of maternity care providers 11 serving areas and populations described in sub- 12 section (a). 13 ‘‘(d) LIMITATIONS.— 14 ‘‘(1) NUMBER.—Each entity receiving a grant 15 under this section may receive not more than 1 such 16 grant. 17 ‘‘(2) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 18 section shall be for a 5-year period. 19 ‘‘(e) ACCESS TO BROADBAND.—In administering 20 grants under this section, the Secretary may coordinate 21 with other agencies to ensure that funding opportunities 22 are available to support access to reliable, high-speed 23 internet for grantees. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •S 893 IS ‘‘(f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 1 provide (either directly or by contract) technical assistance 2 to eligible entities, including recipients of grants under 3 subsection (a), on the development, use, and sustainability 4 of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity 5 building models to expand access to maternal health care 6 services provided by such entities, including— 7 ‘‘(1) in health professional shortage areas; 8 ‘‘(2) in areas with high rates of maternal mor- 9 tality and severe maternal morbidity or significant 10 racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health out- 11 comes; and 12 ‘‘(3) for medically underserved populations or 13 American Indians and Alaska Natives. 14 ‘‘(g) RESEARCH AND EVALUATION.—The Secretary, 15 in consultation with experts, shall develop a strategic plan 16 to research and evaluate the evidence for such models. 17 ‘‘(h) REPORTING.— 18 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—An eligible entity 19 that receives a grant under subsection (a) shall sub- 20 mit to the Secretary a report, at such time, in such 21 manner, and containing such information as the Sec- 22 retary may require. 23 ‘‘(2) SECRETARY.—Not later than 4 years after 24 the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •S 893 IS shall submit to Congress, and make available on the 1 website of the Department of Health and Human 2 Services, a report that includes— 3 ‘‘(A) a description of grants awarded 4 under subsection (a) and the purpose and 5 amounts of such grants; 6 ‘‘(B) a summary of— 7 ‘‘(i) the evaluations conducted under 8 subsection (b)(1)(B); 9 ‘‘(ii) any technical assistance provided 10 under subsection (f); and 11 ‘‘(iii) the activities conducted under a 12 grant awarded under subsection (a); and 13 ‘‘(C) a description of any significant find- 14 ings with respect to— 15 ‘‘(i) patient outcomes; and 16 ‘‘(ii) best practices for expanding, 17 using, or evaluating technology-enabled col- 18 laborative learning and capacity building 19 models. 20 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 21 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, 22 $6,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 23 ‘‘(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 24 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 9 •S 893 IS ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘eligible en- 1 tity’ means an entity that provides, or supports 2 the provision of, maternal health care services 3 or other evidence-based services for pregnant 4 and postpartum individuals— 5 ‘‘(i) in health professional shortage 6 areas; 7 ‘‘(ii) in areas with high rates of ad- 8 verse maternal health outcomes or signifi- 9 cant racial and ethnic disparities in mater- 10 nal health outcomes; or 11 ‘‘(iii) who are— 12 ‘‘(I) members of medically under- 13 served populations; or 14 ‘‘(II) American Indians and Alas- 15 ka Natives, including Indian Tribes, 16 Tribal organizations, and urban In- 17 dian organizations. 18 ‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—An eligible entity may 19 include entities that lead, or are capable of 20 leading, a technology-enabled collaborative 21 learning and capacity building model. 22 ‘‘(2) HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE 23 AREA.—The term ‘health professional shortage area’ 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 10 •S 893 IS means a health professional shortage area des- 1 ignated under section 332. 2 ‘‘(3) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘Indian Tribe’ 3 has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the 4 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 5 Act. 6 ‘‘(4) MATERNAL MORTALITY.—The term ‘ma- 7 ternal mortality’ means a death occurring during or 8 within 1-year period after pregnancy caused by preg- 9 nancy-related or childbirth complications, including a 10 suicide, overdose, or other death resulting from a 11 mental health or substance use disorder attributed 12 to or aggravated by pregnancy or childbirth com- 13 plications. 14 ‘‘(5) MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED POPU- 15 LATION.—The term ‘medically underserved popu- 16 lation’ has the meaning given such term in section 17 330(b)(3). 18 ‘‘(6) POSTPARTUM.—The term ‘postpartum’ 19 means the 1-year period beginning on the last date 20 of an individual’s pregnancy. 21 ‘‘(7) SEVERE MATERNAL MORBIDITY.—The 22 term ‘severe maternal morbidity’ means a health 23 condition, including a mental health or substance 24 use disorder, attributed to or aggravated by preg- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 11 •S 893 IS nancy or childbirth that results in significant short- 1 term or long-term consequences to the health of the 2 individual who was pregnant. 3 ‘‘(8) TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED COLLABORATIVE 4 LEARNING AND CAPACITY BUILDING MODEL.—The 5 term ‘technology-enabled collaborative learning and 6 capacity building model’ means a distance health 7 education model that connects health care profes- 8 sionals, and other specialists, through simultaneous 9 interactive videoconferencing for the purpose of fa- 10 cilitating case-based learning, disseminating best 11 practices, and evaluating outcomes in the context of 12 maternal health care. 13 ‘‘(9) TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘Tribal 14 organization’ has the meaning given such term in 15 section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu- 16 cation Assistance Act. 17 ‘‘(10) URBAN INDIAN ORGANIZATION.—The 18 term ‘urban Indian organization’ has the meaning 19 given such term in section 4 of the Indian Health 20 Care Improvement Act.’’. 21 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 12 •S 893 IS SEC. 4. GRANTS TO PROMOTE EQUITY IN MATERNAL 1 HEALTH OUTCOMES THROUGH DIGITAL 2 TOOLS. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than 1 year 4 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 5 of Health and Human Services shall award grants to eligi- 6 ble entities to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in ma- 7 ternal health outcomes by increasing access to digital tools 8 related to maternal health care, including provider-facing 9 technologies, such as early warning systems and clinical 10 decision support mechanisms. 11 (b) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible to receive a grant 12 under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the 13 Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, 14 and containing such information as the Secretary may re- 15 quire. 16 (c) PRIORITIZATION.—In awarding grants under this 17 section, the Secretary shall prioritize an eligible entity— 18 (1) in an area with high rates of adverse mater- 19 nal health outcomes or significant racial and ethnic 20 disparities in maternal health outcomes; 21 (2) in a health professional shortage area des- 22 ignated under section 332 of the Public Health Serv- 23 ice Act (42 U.S.C. 254e); and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:58 Apr 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S893.IS S893 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 13 •S 893 IS (3) that promotes technology that addresses ra- 1 cial and ethnic disparities in maternal health out- 2 comes. 3 (d) LIMITATIONS.— 4 (1) NUMBER.—Each entity receiving a grant 5 under this section may receive not more than 1 such 6 grant. 7 (2) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 8 section shall be for a 5-year period. 9 (e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 10 provide technical assistance to an eligible entity on the de- 11 velopment, use, evaluation, and post-grant sustainability 12 of digital tools for purposes of promoting equity in mater- 13 nal health out [Text truncated for display. 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