Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act
Maternal and Infant Syphilis Prevention Act would, if enacted, require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance within 12 months to state agencies that administer Medicaid and CHIP (including tribal and urban Indian health programs) on best practices to prevent congenital syphilis. The guidance would cover expanding access to syphilis screening for pregnant women and newborns, improving treatment, and incorporating tools like telehealth and multilingual education. The bill also directs a public report to Congress within two years evaluating how well these best practices are being implemented. The findings underscore rising syphilis rates and the potential to prevent most congenital cases with timely testing and treatment.
Key Points
- 1The Secretary must issue guidance within 12 months to State Medicaid programs, State CHIP, Indian Health Service, tribes, and urban Indian health programs on best practices to prevent congenital syphilis, including use of waivers and program authorities (e.g., 1115 waivers; Title XIX, XXI authorities).
- 2Guidance topics include expanding access to syphilis screening for pregnant women and babies, education for medical professionals and pregnant women, and strategies to use telehealth (including interpreter services and multilingual resources).
- 3Emphasis on increasing testing in the third trimester and at delivery, alongside improving treatment for syphilis and congenital syphilis.
- 4Guidance supports leveraging waivers and existing authorities to implement these practices in Medicaid/CHIP and related programs.
- 5A report to Congress due within two years after enactment to analyze how the best practices were implemented and to make publicly available findings.