Sen. Blunt Rochester Introduces WELLS Act to Protect Pregnant Patients Sent Home From Hospitals
The WELLS Act was recently introduced in the Senate and is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Finance. It is in the early stages of the legislative process and is considered active. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
While maternal health is a popular topic, bills that change Medicare rules often face long delays in committee. It will need strong support from both parties to move forward.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Pregnant individuals who visit a hospital with labor symptoms but are discharged before delivery would receive a structured plan that includes a medical reason for going home, a check on their travel distance and transportation, and identification of a backup facility. This requirement aims to reduce dangerous gaps in care, especially for patients in underserved or rural areas who may face long distances to the nearest hospital. The plan must be explained in the patient's primary language, helping address communication barriers.
“provides for the development and implementation of a discharge plan meeting the standards under paragraph (2) with respect to any individual (whether or not eligible for benefits under this title) admitted to the hospital”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Delaware lawmakers filed SB 301, modeled after the federal WELLS Act, requiring hospitals to provide discharge plans for laboring patients. The bill mandates aftercare instructions, travel assessments, and backup facility identification to prevent unsafe roadside births.
The WELLS Act would require hospitals to implement 'safe discharge labor plans' including clinical justification for discharge, travel distance assessments, and verification of reliable transportation. The bill also mandates racial bias training for healthcare professionals.
Rep. Robin Kelly's proposed WELLS Act would mandate that hospitals participating in Medicare develop specific discharge plans for pregnant individuals. The plans must include travel assessments and documentation of patient understanding to ensure safety after leaving the facility.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
WELLS Act
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