Committee OKs bill on reporting maternal deaths

BOISE — Idaho may soon start reviewing and reporting about maternal deaths in the state again, although some physicians provided hesitant support for the way the Legislature is considering going about it.

The House Health and Welfare Committee voted Monday to approve HB 399, which authorizes the state Board of Medicine to collect information on pregnancy-related deaths and requires an annual report to the Legislature.

Last session, the Legislature didn’t extend a sunset date on its existing Maternal Mortality Review Committee, which left Idaho as the only state to not review this information.

The bill sponsor, House Majority Leader Megan Blanksma, R-Hammett, told committee members that the state has continued collecting the data and the legislation would establish a new process to review it.

The previous review committee had been under the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and was paid for with federal funds, but Blanksma said she intentionally left the agency and federal money out of this bill.

“That, I think, is kind of the beauty of the system, is we’re not using federal funds for it,” she said. “The way it was set up before, we were dependent on federal funds to run the board.”

The bill adds to the existing powers and duties of the Board of Medicine, which falls under the state Department of Occupational and Professional Licenses, to allow it to “collect and review data and information concerning maternal mortality” and to “have the power throughout the state of Idaho to require the production of all information relating to any incidence of maternal mortality.” It would also require and summary report by Jan. 31 of each year to the Legislature on the number of maternal deaths and “other information as determined by the board.”

She said the Board of Medicine has sufficient cash reserves from collecting fees to do this work without any additional appropriation. She also wanted to avoid the health department because of issues with data collection in Medicaid and “our inability to get data out of Health and Welfare in a timely manner.”

Health care providers who testified said they supported the legislation, but many wanted immunity and confidentiality for providers and women whose data is being collected and reported.

“It is essential that EMTs and first responders, police officers, health care providers, and family members all feel safe and supported as they contribute information,” said Stacy Seyb, a maternal fetal medicine provider and former Maternal Mortality Review Committee member.

Seyb said he was in favor of the bill, but asked that these protections be included.

Other doctors also asked that immunity for patients and health care providers contributing data be included in the bill.

Dr. Melissa Roop, representing the Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare, said she supported the bill but suggested that it include a focus on underreporting and misrepresentation of data. She emphasized the need for recommendations based on “robust case data” to implement initiatives to improve maternal health outcomes.

Cindy Thorngren, of the Southwest chapter of National Organization for Women, suggested that the legislation require the data match what other states are reporting so it can be compared.

“Maternal mortality is a system issue,” Thorngren said. “We need to make sure that we study the system. How does the system help moms survive that first year?”

She also questioned why federal funds wouldn’t be used for the committee when they are used for federal forests, highways and many other functions in the state.

“I appreciate the effort, but I’m just not real fond of this particular bill,” she said.

Blanksma said the board would be able to go about forming a committee in the way that it sees fit, and confidentiality could be established in agreements.

She said she also did not intend to add immunity to the legislation.

“I think when you talk about providing blanket immunity for anyone, we start to get really sketchy, and how do we determine who gets immunity and who doesn’t?” she said.

Rep. Brandon Mitchell, R-Moscow, said he would support the motion to send it to the House floor but said he still had reservations and may change his vote later.

He later told said he thought data collected by the federal government may be sufficient and a state review could be redundant.

The committee voted to send the bill to the full House for a vote, with Reps. Jacyn Gallagher, R-Weiser, and Mike Kingsley, R-Lewiston, voting no.

Guido covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Idaho Press of Nampa. She may be contacted at lguido@idahopress.com and can be found on X, formerly Twitter, @EyeOnBoiseGuido.