Senate Bill 94, heard Jan. 28 in the Senate Finance Committee, would require Medicaid coverage for validated home blood‑pressure monitors and related provider monitoring services for pregnant and postpartum women and other high‑risk groups such as those with chronic kidney disease, diabetes or heart disease.

Sponsor Sen. Arthur Ellis and advocates cited rising rates of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and racial and rural disparities in maternal outcomes. “Hypertension in pregnancy is the leading cause of maternal mortality,” Ellis said, citing CDC data showing racial and rural disparities.

Researchers and clinicians described programs that pair validated monitors with community health workers and pharmacists to improve blood‑pressure control. Dr. Yvonne Commodore Mensah, a cardiovascular nurse epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins, said combining monitors with community health worker support and pharmacist engagement led to better adherence and management. “Home BP monitoring devices are covered for any condition when medically necessary,” said Dr. Jenji Lindsey, MDH chief medical officer, who testified in support of the bill with amendments; MDH asked the committee to remove the bill’s education campaign and ongoing reporting requirements because they would produce fiscal impacts and said existing remote patient monitoring (RPM) and health‑choice benefits already allow for covered blood‑pressure devices when medically necessary.

Ending: Sponsors accepted an amendment to remove the education and reporting provisions; MDH said it would implement coverage within existing RPM frameworks and continue working with the sponsor on details.