everything you want to know (and don't) about arkansas politics

Bi-partisan Sponsorship
Healthcare

HB1054

To Require The Arkansas Medicaid Program To Cover Blood Pressure Monitors For Pregnant And Postpartum Women.

Introduced

Last Action (Nov. 25, 2024): WITHDRAWN BY AUTHOR

Sponsors

AI-Generated Summary

House Bill 1054 mandates that the Arkansas Medicaid Program provide coverage for blood pressure monitors to pregnant and postpartum women. This coverage extends for the duration of the pregnancy and up to one year following the birth. The bill directs the Department of Human Services to seek any necessary federal waivers or state plan amendments to implement this requirement. The primary objective is to increase access to cardiovascular health monitoring tools for Medicaid-eligible individuals during the prenatal and postnatal periods.

Potential Impact Analysis

Who Might Benefit?

The primary beneficiaries are pregnant and postpartum women enrolled in the Arkansas Medicaid program who require blood pressure monitoring to manage health conditions such as preeclampsia or hypertension. Additionally, the healthcare providers overseeing these patients benefit from having more reliable patient-reported data to manage maternal health outcomes effectively.

Who Might Suffer?

The Arkansas Department of Human Services and the state budget may be negatively impacted due to the additional financial costs associated with covering these medical devices and the administrative burden of applying for federal waivers or state plan amendments. If federal funding is not secured to cover the full cost, state resources may need to be reallocated to fund this mandate.

Read Full Bill on arkleg.state.ar.us