Sec. 5. (a) If the patients’ attending physician determines further inpatient care is not necessary for the mother or newborn child, a policy or group contract that provides maternity benefits under this chapter may provide under the policy or group contract a shorter length of postpartum hospital stay than the period under section 4 of this chapter if all the following conditions are met:

(1) in the patients’ attending physician’s opinion the newborn meets the criteria for medical stability in the Guidelines for Perinatal Care prepared by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that determine the appropriate length of stay based upon evaluation of:

(A) the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum course of the mother and infant;

(B) the gestational stage, birth weight, and clinical condition of the infant;

(C) the demonstrated ability of the mother to care for the infant after discharge; and

(D) the availability of postdischarge follow-up to verify the condition of the infant after discharge; and

(2) the policy or contract authorizes for the mother and the newborn one (1) at-home postdelivery care visit described in subsection (b).

     (b) The at-home postdelivery care visit shall be conducted not later than forty-eight (48) hours following the discharge of the woman and her newborn child from a licensed hospital. However, at the mother’s discretion, the visit may occur at the facility of the provider subject to the terms of the policy or group contract.

     (c) The provider of the policy or group contract described in this chapter shall provide notice to each enrollee under the policy or group contract regarding the coverage provided under this chapter.

As added by P.L.194-1996, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.2-1997, SEC.66.