Improving Access to Maternity Care Act

Bill: 114-hr-1209
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26]
Introduced: 2015-03-03
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Child health

Government information and archives

Government lending and loan guarantees

Health care coverage and access

Health personnel

Medical education

Sex and reproductive health

Student aid and college costs

Women's health
Latest action: action_date: 2016-11-15
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-03-03
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Improving Access to Maternity Care Act</b></p> <p>This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Health Resources and Services Administration to designate maternity care health professional shortage areas and review these designations at least annually.</p> <p>The Department of Health and Human Services must collect and publish data on health professional shortage areas so availability of maternal health professionals can be compared by professional category and geographic region.</p> <p>A maternity care health professional shortage area is: (1) an area determined to have a shortage of providers of full scope maternity care health services or of hospital or birth center labor and delivery units, or (2) a population group determined to have a shortage of such providers or facilities.</p> Full scope maternity care health services include care during labor, birthing, prenatal care, and postpartum care.

action_date: 2016-11-14
action_desc: Passed House amended
text: <p><b>Improving Access to Maternity Care Act</b></p> <p>(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to identify maternity care health professional target areas, which are areas within health professional shortage areas that have a shortage of maternity care health professionals, for purposes of assigning maternity care health professionals to those areas.</p> HRSA must collect and publish data comparing the availability of and need for maternity care health services in health professional shortage areas and areas within those areas.

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1209 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 3, 2015 Mr. Burgess (for himself, Mrs. Capps , and Ms. Duckworth ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the designation of maternity care health professional shortage areas.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Improving Access to Maternity Care Act . 2. Maternity care health professional shortage areas Section 332 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254e ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (k) (1) The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall designate maternity care health professional shortage areas in the States and at least annually thereafter review and, as necessary, revise such designations. (2) In carrying out paragraph (1), and in applying subsection (b) pursuant to paragraph (4), the Secretary shall seek input from relevant provider organizations, including medical societies, organizations representing medical facilities, and other organizations with expertise in maternity care. (3) In applying subsection (d), pursuant to paragraph (4), the Secretary shall collect and publish in the Federal Register data on health care professional shortage areas based on professional category of maternal health professionals providing full scope maternity health care by provider type as well as geographic region. Such data shall be presented in a manner to compare availability and need of such professionals by such professional category and geographic region. (4) The provisions of subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j) (other than (j)(1)(B)) of this section shall apply to the designation of a maternity care health professional shortage area under this subsection in a similar manner and extent as such provisions apply to the designation of health professional shortage areas under subsection (a), except— (A) in applying subsection (b)(3), the reference in such subsection to physicians shall be deemed to be a reference to physicians and other health professionals as providing maternity care eligible for loan repayment under this part who provide full scope maternity care; (B) in applying subsection (d)— (i) the reference in paragraph (2) of such subsection to July 1 of 1991 shall be deemed to be a reference to July 1 of 2016 ; and (ii) the descriptive list required under such paragraph, with respect to a maternity care health professional shortage area designated under paragraph (1), shall include— (I) population groups in the area that would benefit from full scope maternity care health services; and (II) the providers and medical facilities that provide such services to such groups in such area; and (C) in applying such provisions of subsections (b), (c), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j), a reference to an area, population group, or facility shall be deemed to be a reference to an area or population group described in paragraph (5). (5) For purposes of this subsection: (A) The term ‘maternity care health professional shortage area’ means— (i) an area in an urban or rural area (which need not conform to the geographic boundaries of a political subdivision and which is a rational area for the delivery of health services) which the Secretary determines has a shortage of providers of full scope maternity care health services; (ii) an area in an urban or rural area (which need not conform to the geographic boundaries of a political subdivision and which is a rational area for the delivery of health services) which the Secretary determines has a shortage of hospital or birth center labor and delivery units; or (iii) a population group which the Secretary determines has such a shortage of maternal providers or facilities. (B) The term full scope maternity care health services includes during labor care, birthing, prenatal care, and postpartum care. (C) The term medical facility has the meaning given such term in subsection (a)(2) and includes a freestanding birth center, as defined in section 1905(l)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act. .

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 1209 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To amend the Public Health Service Act to distribute maternity care health professionals to health professional shortage areas identified as in need of maternity care health services.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Improving Access to Maternity Care Act . 2. Maternity care health professional target areas Section 332 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254e ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (k) (1) The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall identify, based on the data collected under paragraph (3), maternity care health professional target areas that satisfy the criteria described in paragraph (2) for purposes of, in connection with receipt of assistance under this title, assigning to such identified areas maternity care health professionals who, without application of this subsection, would otherwise be eligible for such assistance. The Secretary shall distribute maternity care health professionals within health professional shortage areas using the maternity care health professional target areas so identified. (2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish criteria for maternity care health professional target areas that identify geographic areas within health professional shortage areas that have a shortage of maternity care health professionals. (3) For purposes of this subsection, the Secretary shall collect and publish in the Federal Register data comparing the availability and need of maternity care health services in health professional shortage areas and in areas within such health professional shortage areas. (4) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall seek input from relevant provider organizations, including medical societies, organizations representing medical facilities, and other organizations with expertise in maternity care. (5) For purposes of this subsection, the term full scope maternity care health services includes during labor care, birthing, prenatal care, and postpartum care. (6) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as— (A) requiring the identification of a maternity care health professional target area in an area not otherwise already designated as a health professional shortage area; or (B) affecting the types of health professionals, without application of this subsection, otherwise eligible for assistance, including a loan repayment or scholarship, pursuant to the application of this section. .

Passed the House of Representatives November 14, 2016. Karen L. Haas, Clerk.

tv_txt: IIB 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 1209 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 15, 2016 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions AN ACT To amend the Public Health Service Act to distribute maternity care health professionals to health professional shortage areas identified as in need of maternity care health services.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Improving Access to Maternity Care Act . 2. Maternity care health professional target areas Section 332 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254e ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (k) (1) The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall identify, based on the data collected under paragraph (3), maternity care health professional target areas that satisfy the criteria described in paragraph (2) for purposes of, in connection with receipt of assistance under this title, assigning to such identified areas maternity care health professionals who, without application of this subsection, would otherwise be eligible for such assistance. The Secretary shall distribute maternity care health professionals within health professional shortage areas using the maternity care health professional target areas so identified. (2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish criteria for maternity care health professional target areas that identify geographic areas within health professional shortage areas that have a shortage of maternity care health professionals. (3) For purposes of this subsection, the Secretary shall collect and publish in the Federal Register data comparing the availability and need of maternity care health services in health professional shortage areas and in areas within such health professional shortage areas. (4) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall seek input from relevant provider organizations, including medical societies, organizations representing medical facilities, and other organizations with expertise in maternity care. (5) For purposes of this subsection, the term full scope maternity care health services includes during labor care, birthing, prenatal care, and postpartum care. (6) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as— (A) requiring the identification of a maternity care health professional target area in an area not otherwise already designated as a health professional shortage area; or (B) affecting the types of health professionals, without application of this subsection, otherwise eligible for assistance, including a loan repayment or scholarship, pursuant to the application of this section. .

Passed the House of Representatives November 14, 2016. Karen L. Haas, Clerk

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 626 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 1209 [Report No. 114–802] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 3, 2015 Mr. Burgess (for himself, Mrs. Capps , and Ms. Duckworth ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce November 14, 2016 Additional sponsors: Mr. Meehan , Ms. Herrera Beutler , Mr. Takai , Ms. Norton , Mr. Conyers , Mr. Rangel , Mr. Blumenauer , Mr. Harper , Mr. Roe of Tennessee , Mr. McGovern , Ms. Eshoo , Mr. Ribble , Mr. Hanna , Mr. Stivers , Ms. DelBene , Mr. Amodei , Mr. Larson of Connecticut , Mr. Grijalva , Mr. DeFazio , Mr. Johnson of Ohio , Mr. Hastings , Ms. Lee , Mr. Polis , Mr. Heck of Nevada , Mr. Pocan , Mr. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico , Ms. Sinema , Ms. Clark of Massachusetts , Mrs. Comstock , Mr. Costello of Pennsylvania , Mr. Loebsack , Mrs. Mimi Walters of California , Mr. Heck of Washington , Mr. Huffman , Mr. Takano , Mrs. Dingell , Mr. Farr , Mr. Himes , Ms. McCollum , Mr. DesJarlais , Mr. Fattah , Mrs. Brooks of Indiana , Mr. Kilmer , Mr. Walberg , Mrs. Blackburn , Ms. Moore , Mr. Welch , Mrs. Torres , Mr. Kind , Mr. Garamendi , Ms. McSally , Mr. Katko , Mr. Joyce , Mr. Walz , Mrs. Kirkpatrick , Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of Pennsylvania , Mr. Newhouse , Ms. Judy Chu of California , Mr. Dent , Mrs. Miller of Michigan , Mr. Jenkins of West Virginia , Ms. Brownley of California , Mr. Collins of Georgia , Mr. Peters , Ms. DeLauro , Miss Rice of New York , Mr. Benishek , Mr. Moolenaar , Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania , Mr. Latta , Mr. Smith of Missouri , Mr. MacArthur , Mr. Lipinski , Mr. Gallego , Ms. Roybal-Allard , Mr. Jeffries , Ms. Lofgren , Mr. Ross , Mr. Schrader , Mr. Pompeo , Ms. Clarke of New York , Mr. Tonko , Mr. Ted Lieu of California , Mr. Young of Iowa , Mr. Griffith , Ms. Kuster , and Ms. Bonamici November 14, 2016 Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 3, 2015 A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the designation of maternity care health professional shortage areas.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Improving Access to Maternity Care Act . 2. Maternity care health professional target areas Section 332 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254e ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (k) (1) The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall identify, based on the data collected under paragraph (3), maternity care health professional target areas that satisfy the criteria described in paragraph (2) for purposes of, in connection with receipt of assistance under this title, assigning to such identified areas maternity care health professionals who, without application of this subsection, would otherwise be eligible for such assistance. The Secretary shall distribute maternity care health professionals within health professional shortage areas using the maternity care health professional target areas so identified. (2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish criteria for maternity care health professional target areas that identify geographic areas within health professional shortage areas that have a shortage of maternity care health professionals. (3) For purposes of this subsection, the Secretary shall collect and publish in the Federal Register data comparing the availability and need of maternity care health services in health professional shortage areas and in areas within such health professional shortage areas. (4) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall seek input from relevant provider organizations, including medical societies, organizations representing medical facilities, and other organizations with expertise in maternity care. (5) For purposes of this subsection, the term full scope maternity care health services includes during labor care, birthing, prenatal care, and postpartum care. (6) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as— (A) requiring the identification of a maternity care health professional target area in an area not otherwise already designated as a health professional shortage area; or (B) affecting the types of health professionals, without application of this subsection, otherwise eligible for assistance, including a loan repayment or scholarship, pursuant to the application of this section. .

Amend the title so as to read: A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to distribute maternity care health professionals to health professional shortage areas identified as in need of maternity care health services. .

November 14, 2016 Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed