2803-n. Hospital care for maternity patients. 1. When a general hospital provides maternity care:
(a) Inpatient care for mothers and newborns shall be offered for not less than forty-eight hours after childbirth for any delivery other than a caesarean section, and for more than forty-eight hours when medically necessary. For a caesarean section, inpatient care for mothers and newborns shall be offered for not less than ninety-six hours after childbirth, and for more than ninety-six hours when medically necessary.
(b) Maternity care shall also include, at minimum, parent education, assistance and training in breast or bottle feeding, education on maternal depression, education on maternal depression screening and referrals, and the performance of any necessary maternal and newborn clinical assessments. Notwithstanding this requirement, nothing in this paragraph is intended to result in the hospital charging any amount for such services in addition to the applicable charge for the maternity inpatient hospital admission.
2. This section shall not limit the mother's option to be discharged earlier than the time periods established in subdivision one of this section.
Last modified: February 3, 2019