Washington, DC – America’s Physician Groups (APG) today applauded Senators Bill Cassidy, MD, (R-LA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Tom Carper (D-DE), Todd Young (R-IN), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) for introducing the bipartisan Connected Maternal Online Monitoring Service (MOM) Act. This legislation would improve healthcare for pregnant and postpartum women by requiring the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide insurance coverage recommendations for remote monitoring devices.
Approximately 60 percent of maternal deaths in the US are preventable. The goal of the Connected Mom Act is help improve both maternal and infant health. Allowing doctors to monitor a woman’s glucose levels, blood pressure, and heart rate with remote devices can help catch and prevent potential pregnancy and postpartum complications.
“Maternal mortality is far too common in Louisiana. Using the latest technology, we can save lives,” said Senator Cassidy. “This bill allows moms with high-risk pregnancies, especially in underserved communities, to stay at home while her physician monitors her and her baby’s health.”
The Connected Maternity Online Monitoring program, established by Ochsner Health in New Orleans, was the driving force for the Connected MOM Act.
“The Connected MOM platform is another example of how Ochsner is continuously innovating to improve the care and outcomes for the patients that we serve,” said Phil Oravetz, MD, Chief Population Health Officer, Ochsner Health. “The use of remote monitoring and digital content in the delivery of both prenatal and postpartum services provide improved access and convenience for our patients, contributes to improved outcomes, and has the opportunity to be scalable throughout our service area and beyond. We enthusiastically endorse the expansion of this program via legislative action.”
“APG has been a strong supporter of increasing access to remote patient care via telehealth services, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Don Crane, APG President and CEO. “Allowing remote monitoring for potential pregnancy complications will not only help prevent overall deaths and illnesses, it will also help address the wide health disparities gap in maternal and infant mortality.”
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About America’s Physician Groups
America’s Physician Groups is a national association representing more than 340 physician groups with approximately 195,000 physicians providing care to nearly 45 million patients. APG’s tagline, ‘Taking Responsibility for America’s Health,’ represents our members’ vision to move from the antiquated, dysfunctional fee-for-service reimbursement system to a clinically integrated, value-based healthcare system where physician groups are accountable for the coordination, cost, and quality of patient care. Visit us at www.apg.org.
Contact: Greg Phillips, APG Director of Communications, 202-770-1901, gphillips@apg.org
