HB0004ham001 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. LaToya Greenwood

Filed: 1/31/2020

10100HB0004ham001 LRB101 04058 KTG 67214 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by adding Section 5-18.5 as follows:

(305 ILCS 5/5-18.5 new)

Sec. 5-18.5. Doula and evidence-based home visiting services. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, doula services and evidence-based home visiting services shall be covered under the medical assistance program for persons who are otherwise eligible for medical assistance under this Article. For the purposes of this Section, a perinatal doula is a trained provider who provides regular, voluntary physical, emotional, and educational support, but not medical or midwife care, to pregnant and birthing persons before, during, and after childbirth, otherwise known as the perinatal period. Perinatal doula services include regular visits beginning in the prenatal period and continuing into the postnatal period, inclusive of continuous support during labor and delivery, which support healthy pregnancies and positive birth outcomes. Perinatal doula services may be embedded in an existing program, such as evidence-based home visiting. For the purposes of this Section, home visiting is a voluntary, evidence-based strategy used to support pregnant people, infants, and young children and their caregivers to promote infant, child, and maternal health, foster educational development and school readiness, and help prevent child abuse and neglect. Home visitors are trained professionals whose visits and activities focus on promoting strong parent-child attachment to foster healthy child development.

The Department of Healthcare and Family Services, in consultation with the State Board of Education, the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development, and the Department of Human Services, shall adopt rules to administer this Section, including setting forth the certification and training requirements for perinatal doulas and home visitors eligible for reimbursement under Illinois' State Medicaid Plan, as well as the reimbursement rates for the provision of services to eligible persons. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall seek such State plan amendments or waivers as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this Section and to secure federal financial participation for State Medicaid expenditures under the federal Medicaid program. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall consult with the Illinois Early Learning Council on issues of implementation, and may request additional guidance from an advisory body of the Illinois Early Learning Council comprised of experts with knowledge of perinatal doula and home visiting services and perinatal health.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2021.".