On Monday, June 17th, a group of sixteen U.S. Senators released draft legislation to address the rising trend of rural hospitals and hospitals in underserved areas closing their labor and delivery units, which holds significant consequences for expectant parents, families, and the local communities. (Summary and section-by-section | Full text)
The proposal, titled the Keep Obstetrics Local Act (KOLA), would increase Medicaid payment rates for labor and delivery services for eligible rural and high-need urban hospitals; provide “standby” payments to cover the costs of staffing and maintaining an obstetrics unit at low-volume hospitals; create low-volume payment adjustments for labor and delivery services at hospitals with low birth volumes; and, require all states to provide postpartum coverage for women in Medicaid for 12 months, among other steps. The proposal ensures that hospitals are required to use the additional resources it provides to invest in the maternal health care needs of the local communities they serve.
The proposal has been endorsed by the American College of Nurse-Midwives, America’s Essential Hospitals, Catholic Hospital Association, Community Catalyst, Families USA, Hospital Association of Oregon, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Rural Health Association, and the Oregon Perinatal Collaborative. For more information, contact RCRC Policy Advocate Sarah Dukett.