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Regular Session, 2012
SENATE BILL NO. 662
BY SENATOR BUFFINGTON
HEALTH CARE. Provides for the Premature Infant Hospital Discharge and Quality
Improvement Act. (8/1/12)
AN ACT1
To enact Part LXXII of Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to2
be comprised of R.S. 40:1300.351 and 1300.354, relative to premature infant hospital3
discharge; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for reporting; and to4
provide for related matters.5
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:6
Section 1. Part LXXII of Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of7
1950, to be comprised of R.S. 40:1300.351 and 1300.354 is hereby enacted to read as8
follows: 9
PART LXXII. PREMATURE INFANT HOSPITAL DISCHARGE AND QUALITY10
IMPROVEMENT ACT11
§1300.351. Short title12
This Part shall be known, and may be cited, as the "Premature Infant13
Hospital Discharge and Quality Improvement Act".14
§1300.352. Purpose15
The purpose of this Part is to improve health care quality and outcomes16
for infants born premature through enhanced hospital discharge, follow-up care17 SB NO. 662
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and management processes, and reduced re-hospitalization from infectious1
disease and other complications.2
§1300.353. Rules and regulations3
A. The Department of Health and Hospitals, in consultation with4
hospitals, health care providers, and state organizations focused on improving5
premature infant health care, shall promulgate rules and regulations pursuant6
to the Administrative Procedure Act to develop uniform procedures for hospital7
discharge and follow-up care for premature infants born at a gestational age of8
less than thirty-seven weeks and to ensure that standardized and coordinated9
processes are followed as premature infants leave the hospital from either a10
Level 1 (well baby nursery), Level 2 (step down or transitional nursery), or11
Level 3 (neonatal intensive care) unit and transition to follow-up care by a12
health care or home care provider.13
§1300.354. Reporting14
A. The Department of Heath and Hospitals shall require hospitals15
serving infants eligible for Medicaid and LaCHIP to report to the department16
all incidents and the cause of re-hospitalizations of infants born premature at17
less than thirty-seven weeks gestational age and who are within their first six18
months of life. 19
B. The department shall seek guidance, if available, from the Centers for20
Medicare and Medicaid Services' Neonatal Outcomes Improvement Project to21
implement programs to improve newborn outcomes, reduce newborn health22
costs, and establish ongoing quality improvement for the care of newborns,23
including hospital discharge and follow-up care.24
C. The department shall submit an annual report to the House and25
Senate committees on health and welfare no later than March 1
of each year.26
The submitted report shall include:27
(1) The department's progress in implementing the provisions of this28
Part.29 SB NO. 662
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(2) Information provided to the department pursuant to Subsection A of1
this Section.2
(3) Recommendations to improve newborn outcomes and ensure ongoing3
health quality improvement, including technological needs to improve4
surveillance of premature infants as the infants are discharged from the5
hospital and transition to a health care or home care provider.6
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Christopher D. Adams.
DIGEST
Proposed law provides for the Premature Infant Hospital Discharge and Quality
Improvement Act.
Proposed law provides that the Department of Health and Hospitals, in consultation with
hospitals, the health care professionals, and the state organizations focused on improving
premature infant health care, shall promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to the
Administrative Procedure Act to develop uniform procedures for hospital discharge and
follow-up care for premature infants born less than thirty-seven weeks gestational age and
to ensure that standardized and coordinated processes are followed as premature infants
leave the hospital.
Proposed law provides that the department shall require hospitals serving infants eligible for
Medicaid and LaCHIP to report to the department all incidents and the cause of
re-hospitalizations of infants born premature at less than thirty-seven weeks gestational age
and who are within their first six months of life.
Proposed law provides that the department shall submit an annual report to the House and
Senate committees on health and welfare no later than March 1 of each year.
Effective August 1, 2012.
(Adds R.S. 40:1300.351 through 1300.354)