HR 8716
Blood Pressure MATTERS Act
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- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Bill overview
The Blood Pressure MATTERS Act aims to expand access to care for pregnant and postpartum individuals by requiring coverage for self-measured blood pressure monitoring. It amends several key pieces of legislation, including Medicaid, CHIP, and private health insurance plans, to ensure that these individuals receive devices and coverage without cost-sharing. The bill also establishes specific guidelines for these devices and their use.
Key provisions
- Requires Medicaid to cover self-measured blood pressure monitoring for pregnant and postpartum individuals.
- Mandates coverage of self-measured blood pressure monitoring under CHIP for targeted low-income pregnant women.
- Requires private health insurance plans (including those under the Affordable Care Act and Medicare Advantage) to cover self-measured blood pressure monitoring during pregnancy.
- Defines ‘self-measured blood pressure monitoring’ and specifies the types of devices that qualify for coverage.
- Prohibits cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles) for self-measured blood pressure monitoring.
- Establishes a limit of one specified blood pressure management device per individual over a 2-year period.
- Includes a 120-day effective date, with a provision for states to meet legislative requirements before full implementation.
Who is affected
- Pregnant individuals
- Postpartum individuals
- Medicaid recipients
- Children covered by CHIP
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] Norton
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119th CONGRESS — 2d Session
H. R. 8716
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act, title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require coverage of self-measured blood pressure monitoring for pregnant and postpartum individuals.
This Act may be cited as the Blood Pressure Mandated Accessible Telemetry Tracking for Eclampsia Risk Safeguards Act Blood Pressure MATTERS Act
or the
.
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (31), by striking and
at the end;
by redesignating paragraph (32) as paragraph (33); and
by inserting after paragraph (31) the following new paragraph:
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
means a specified blood pressure measurement device furnished to an individual during pregnancy (and during the 12-month period beginning on the last day of the pregnancy, or, in the case of an individual who is eligible for medical assistance under the State plan under paragraph (5) or (16) of section 1902(e), during the period for which such individual remains so eligible), without regard to whether such individual is diagnosed with a hypertensive disorder; and
does not include more than 1 such device furnished to an individual during a 2-year period.
In this subsection, the term specified blood pressure management device means a device that—
can be used by an individual to measure their own blood pressure without the assistance of a health care provider;
is listed as a validated device on the Validated Device Listing website maintained by the American Medical Association.
and (30)and inserting
(30), and (32).
Section 1937(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396u–7(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
in subparagraph (I), by striking or
at the end;
in subparagraph (J), by striking ; and
and inserting , or
; and
by adding at the end the following subparagraph:
Section 1916A(b)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396o–1(b)(3)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the following new clause:
may not require that such individual be diagnosed with a hypertensive disorder as a condition of such coverage.
A group health plan or health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage is not required under this section to provide coverage of more than 1 specified blood pressure management device furnished to an individual during a 2-year period.
In this section, the term specified blood pressure management device has the meaning given such term in section 1905(ll)(2) of the Social Security Act.
may not require that such individual be diagnosed with a hypertensive disorder as a condition of such coverage.
A group health plan or health insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage is not required under this section to provide coverage of more than 1 specified blood pressure management device furnished to an individual during a 2-year period.
In this section, the term specified blood pressure management device has the meaning given such term in section 1905(ll)(2) of the Social Security Act.
may not require that such individual be diagnosed with a hypertensive disorder as a condition of such coverage.
A group health plan is not required under this section to provide coverage of more than 1 specified blood pressure management device furnished to an individual during a 2-year period.
In this section, the term specified blood pressure management device has the meaning given such term in section 1905(ll)(2) of the Social Security Act.