EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0965*
SENATE BILL 965
J1 5lr2873
CF 5lr2968
By: Senators Carozza, Ready, and West
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2025
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Health – Women’s Health Care Data – Report 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to collect and compile 3
annual data on the costs of birth, postpartum care, pregnancy care, and abortion in 4
the State; and generally relating to reproductive health care data. 5
BY adding to 6
Article – Health – General 7
Section 20–217 through 20–220 to be under the new part “Part V. Women’s Health 8
Data Collection and Reporting” 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – Health – General 14
20–215. RESERVED. 15
20–216. RESERVED. 16
PART V. WOMEN’S HEALTH DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING. 17
20–217. 18
THE PURPOSE OF THIS P ART IS TO COLLECT AN D REPORT DATA REGARD ING 19
THE COST OF BIRTH , POSTPARTUM CARE , PREGNANCY CARE , AND ABORTION TO : 20
2 SENATE BILL 965
(1) BETTER UNDERSTAND THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THESE 1
SERVICES ON INDIVIDU ALS, PROVIDERS, AND THE STATE; 2
(2) INFORM PUBLIC POLICY DECISIONS RELATED TO MATERNAL AND 3
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE; AND 4
(3) PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY I N HEALTH 5
CARE SPENDING WHILE SAFEGUARDING THE PRI VACY AND DIGNITY OF ALL 6
INDIVIDUALS. 7
20–218. 8
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COLL ECT AND COMPILE DATA ANNUALLY 9
REGARDING THE COST O F: 10
(1) DELIVERY, INCLUDING: 11
(I) STANDARD DELIVERY COS TS; 12
(II) COSTS OF COMPLICATIONS , INCLUDING EMERGENCY 13
INTERVENTIONS AND EX TENDED HOSPITAL STAY S; AND 14
(III) NEONATAL CARE , IF APPLICABLE; 15
(2) POSTPARTUM CARE , INCLUDING: 16
(I) FOLLOW–UP MEDICAL VISITS ; AND 17
(II) COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ADDRESSING POSTPARTU M 18
MENTAL HEALTH CONDIT IONS, INCLUDING POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION; 19
(3) PREGNANCY CARE , INCLUDING: 20
(I) ROUTINE OBSTETRIC AND GYNECOLOGICAL VI SITS; 21
(II) PRENATAL VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS ; AND 22
(III) DIAGNOSTIC AND MONITO RING SERVICES , INCLUDING 23
ULTRASOUNDS AND GENE TIC TESTING; AND 24
(4) ABORTION, INCLUDING: 25
(I) PROCEDURAL COSTS ; 26 SENATE BILL 965 3
(II) COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH COMPLICATIONS OR FOL LOW–UP 1
CARE; 2
(III) PRESCRIPTION COSTS FO R ABORTION PILLS , INCLUDING 3
COSTS ASSOCIATED WIT H ABORTION PILL REVE RSALS; AND 4
(IV) COSTS OF ABORTION CAR E TRAINING PROGRAMS UNDER § 5
13–4704 OF THIS ARTICLE. 6
(B) MARYLAND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FUNDS USED FO R 7
CHEMICAL OR SURGICAL ABORTION PROCEDURES SHALL BE TRACKED TO INCLUDE: 8
(1) THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE ALLOCATE D FOR CHEMICAL 9
ABORTIONS, INCLUDING ASSOCIATED PRESCRIPTION COSTS ; AND 10
(2) THE TOTAL EXPENDITUR E FOR SURGICAL ABORT IONS, 11
INCLUDING PRE – AND POST–OPERATIVE CARE . 12
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVE LOP A STANDARDIZED S YSTEM, 13
INCLUDING FORMS OR W ORKSHEETS, TO COLLECT CONSISTEN T DATA FROM , AS 14
APPLICABLE: 15
(1) EACH HOSPITAL LICENSED UNDER TITLE 19, SUBTITLE 3 OF THIS 16
ARTICLE; 17
(2) EACH HEALTH CARE PROVIDER LICENSED UNDER THE HEALTH 18
OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE; AND 19
(3) ANY OTHER ENTITY THAT PROVIDES A SERVICE DESCRIBED 20
UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION. 21
20–219. 22
(A) THE DEPARTMENT IS NOT REQ UIRED TO COLLECT OR REPORT DATA 23
THAT WOULD VIOLATE F EDERAL OR STATE PRIVACY LAWS . 24
(B) AN ENTITY LISTED UNDE R § 20–218(C) OF THIS SUBTITLE SHALL: 25
(1) COMPLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT ’S DATA SUBMISSION 26
REQUIREMENTS ; AND 27
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(2) ANONYMIZE AND DE –IDENTIFY PATIENT DATA AS NECESSARY TO 1
COMPLY WITH APPLICAB LE LAWS. 2
20–220. 3
(A) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN 2025, THE 4
DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBM IT A COMPREHENSIVE R EPORT TO THE GENERAL 5
ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, 6
AND MAKE THE REPORT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE O N ITS WEBSITE. 7
(B) THE REPORT SHALL INCL UDE THE FOLLOWING IN FORMATION FOR THE 8
IMMEDIATELY PRECEDIN G FISCAL YEAR: 9
(1) AGGREGATED COST DATA FOR EACH CA TEGORY OF CARE 10
DESCRIBED UNDER § 20–218(A) OF THIS SUBTITLE; 11
(2) COMPARATIVE DATA BY R EGION WITHIN THE STATE; 12
(3) ANALYSIS OF TRENDS IN THE COSTS OF EACH CA TEGORY OF CARE 13
OVER TIME; AND 14
(4) RECOMMENDATIONS , IF ANY, FOR IMPROVING COST E FFICIENCY. 15
(C) THE REPORT: 16
(1) MAY NOT INCLUDE ANY P ERSONALLY IDENTIFIAB LE 17
INFORMATION ; AND 18
(2) SHALL COMPLY WITH ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL A ND STATE 19
PRIVACY LAWS , INCLUDING THE FEDERA L HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND 20
ACCOUNTABILITY ACT. 21
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 22
1, 2025. 23