§ 2530-A — Payment for prenatal care special services

§ 2530-a. Payment for prenatal care special services. 1. The\ncommissioner is authorized to establish a program to provide services\nunder title eleven or title eleven-D of article five of the social\nservices law, for early and continuous prenatal care for pregnant women\nwho are eligible to receive services under those titles, to prevent\ncomplications during pregnancy and childbirth and to reduce neonatal\nintensive care admissions (referred to in this section as the\n"program"). The program shall include the collection, and transmittal to\nthe department, of health status data pertinent to the management of\npregnancy risk on a health status data form established by the\ndepartment.\n 2. The collection of data under the program shall be based on the\npregnant woman's informed written consent, which shall be in a format\ndeveloped by the commissioner and maintained in the provider's medical\nrecord. Participation in the program shall be voluntary for the pregnant\nwoman. A woman's failure to give consent for the collection of data\nunder this section or to participate in the program shall not result in\nthe diminution of any services otherwise available under title eleven or\neleven-D of article five of the social services law.\n 3. If consent and voluntary participation pursuant to subdivision two\nof this section is obtained, providers of prenatal care under title\neleven or title eleven-D of article five of the social services law,\nshall endeavor to collect at the earliest possible prenatal visit, and\nreport to the department in a form and manner determined by the\ncommissioner, health status data concerning each pregnant woman eligible\nfor services under title eleven or title eleven-D of article five of the\nsocial services law, and treated by such provider.\n 4. Upon receipt of a health status data form, the department shall\ntake one of the following actions:\n (a) If the pregnant woman, at the time of the receipt of the health\nstatus data form by the department, is enrolled in a managed care health\nplan, the department shall send the form to the plan for triage and\nappropriate care management interventions, which shall include available\nplan services and referrals for other services available in the\ncommunity.\n (b) If the pregnant woman, at the time of the receipt of the health\nstatus data form by the department, is not enrolled in a managed care\nhealth plan, the department shall send the form to an entity described\nin subdivision five of this section for triage and appropriate care\nmanagement services, which shall include, but not be limited to, needed\nhome visits and referrals to community based services for high risk\npregnant women. If the pregnant woman subsequently becomes enrolled in a\nmanaged care health plan, the designated entity and the plan shall\nassure continuity of care.\n 5. Patient health status data collected under this section shall be\nmaintained as confidential by the department and by any person or entity\nto whom the department discloses the data. Such data may only be\ndisclosed by the department under this section.\n 6. For purposes of the activities described in paragraph (b) of\nsubdivision four of this section, the department is authorized to enter\ninto agreements with and, within amounts appropriated therefor, provide\nfunding to, local health departments or not-for-profit organizations to\npromote positive pregnancy outcomes, optimal child health, growth and\ndevelopment, and safe home environments.\n 7. The department is authorized to operate the program authorized by\nthis section in a subset of counties in the state.\n 8. Within amounts appropriated therefor, the commissioner is\nauthorized to develop fees to reimburse enrolled fee-for-service\nproviders for the collection and transmittal of clinical data authorized\nby this section.\n