SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 6148
As Reported by Senate Committee On:
Health & Long Term Care, January 30, 2024
Title: An act relating to establishing maternal and perinatal quality of care metrics for Washingtonians on medicaid.
Brief Description: Establishing maternal and perinatal quality of care metrics for Washingtonians on medicaid.
Sponsors: Senators Rivers, Braun, Dozier, Frame, Hasegawa and Wilson, C..
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Health & Long Term Care: 1/25/24, 1/30/24 [DP].
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Requires the Health Care Authority (HCA) to collect and report data on the maternity core set quality measures related to maternal and perinatal health beginning January 1, 2025.
  • Requires HCA to publish the report on its website with the comparative data and analysis by June 30, 2026, and annually thereafter.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG TERM CARE
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Cleveland, Chair; Robinson, Vice Chair; Rivers, Ranking Member; Muzzall, Assistant Ranking Member; Conway, Dhingra, Holy, Padden, Randall and Van De Wege.
Staff: Julie Tran (786-7283)
Background:

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) identified a core set of nine measures for reporting by state Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) which is identified as the Maternity Core Set, and it is used by CMS to measure and evaluate progress toward improvement of maternal and perinatal health in Medicaid and CHIP.

 

The Maternity Core Set consists of six measures from the Child Core Set and three measures from the Adult Core Set. Beginning in 2024 states are required to collect and report on the six maternal and perinatal health measures included in the Child Core Set. The Maternity Core Set measures are:
 
Child Core Set:
    ? live births weighing less than 2500 grams;
    ? well-child visits in the first 30 months of life;
    ? prenatal and postpartum care?under age 21;
    ? contraceptive care?postpartum women ages 15 to 20;
    ? contraceptive care?all  women ages 15 to 20; and
    ? low-risk cesarean delivery.


Adult Core Set: 
    ? prenatal and postpartum care?age 21 and older;
    ? contraceptive care?postpartum women ages 21 to 44; and
    ? contraceptive care?all women ages 21 to 44.
Summary of Bill:

Beginning January 1, 2025, the Health Care Authority (HCA) must collect data and report on all of the quality measures related to maternal and perinatal health that are identified by CMS as the Maternity Core Set. 

 

By June 30, 2026, and annually thereafter, HCA must publish the collected data, provide comparative data to the previous year detailing any progress made in improving outcomes, and provide information detailing any steps taken to improve outcomes. HCA must make this report publicly available on its website.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 16, 2024.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

PRO: This data is already being collected and the compiled information should be available for the public to access on the website. This bill is an opportunity to see how the state is doing and whether the state is succeeding in the efforts related to maternal health and infant mortality or if there are areas that need more focus.


OTHER: The agency is planning on collecting data on all nine of the measures. Of those measures, seven of them are already getting reported to CMS. CMS does its own analysis around a few of those measures using state-reported data. To the extent, the Legislature has interest in having the data available for policy decisions and available to the public, there is an added value for the state. Some resources will be needed for the agency to implement the bill.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Senator Ann Rivers, Prime Sponsor.
OTHER: Evan Klein, Health Care Authority (HCA) - Special Assistant, Legislative & Policy Affairs .
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.