Requires DOH to conduct survey on status of antenatal and prenatal care clinics in New Jersey.
Impact
The findings from this survey are intended to inform policy decisions related to the Certificate of Need (CON) program, which regulates the establishment of new health facilities and services. By identifying gaps and barriers in the provision of antenatal and prenatal care, particularly for low and moderate-income women, the bill aims to improve access and quality of care. The results could serve as a basis for developing new programs and resources tailored to enhance maternal healthcare services in New Jersey.
Summary
Assembly Bill A1995 mandates the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) to conduct a comprehensive survey and analysis of antenatal and prenatal care clinics across the state. The primary objective of this survey is to evaluate the effectiveness of maternity, antenatal, and prenatal care services provided to pregnant women in New Jersey. This includes collecting data from all active and recently closed clinics within the last two years, thereby aiming to assess the overall landscape of maternal healthcare services available in the state.
Contention
A notable aspect of the bill is its focus on demographic data collection, which aims to illuminate disparities in care associated with economic and accessibility factors. The analysis will help understand potential inequities in healthcare access among different population groups. There may be contention regarding privacy and data handling concerns, as the bill specifies that any published data must exclude personal identifying information, ensuring that patient confidentiality is maintained throughout the survey process.
Creates a department of health education and outreach program on reproductive health services for consumers, patients, educators, and health care providers related to reproductive health services available in New York state including, but not limited to: access to family planning services such as contraceptives and pregnancy testing, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections; makes related provisions.
Creates a department of health education and outreach program on reproductive health services for consumers, patients, educators, and health care providers related to reproductive health services available in New York state including, but not limited to: access to family planning services such as contraceptives and pregnancy testing, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections; makes related provisions.