BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 502
Page 1
Date of Hearing: August 17, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
SB 502 (Pavley and De Leon) - As Amended: August 15, 2011
Policy Committee: HealthVote:14 - 5
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill requires, effective January 1, 2014, that general
care, acute care, and specialized hospitals with perinatal units
adopt and post an infant-feeding policy either in the perinatal
unit or on the hospital's website. In addition, this bill
requires that the policy be regularly communicated to the
perinatal staff.
FISCAL EFFECT
Any costs associated with this legislation would be minor and
absorbable within existing resources.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . The author states that a growing body of evidence
indicates that breastfeeding can affect growth and development
in children, while significantly reducing their risk for
infections and chronic disease such as diabetes, asthma, and
obesity. The author argues that even though regulations
require general acute care hospitals to have a written
breastfeeding policy, many do not have those policies in
place. According to information gathered by California WIC
Association (CWA), 14 out of the 22 lowest performing
hospitals, those with the highest formula supplementation
rates, do not have a breastfeeding policy.
The author states the goal of this bill is to provide
hospitals with guidance on infant-feeding policies that
address both breastfeeding and proper bottle feeding. The
author contends this bill is a modest approach that will help
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increase the exclusive breastfeeding rates in California
hospitals and update current regulations while giving the
hospitals a reasonable amount of time to develop their
infant-feeding policies and to educate their perinatal unit
staff.
2)Infant-Feeding Policies . This bill requires hospitals to adopt
either a Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)
infant-feeding model policy or the Department of Public
Health's (DPH) infant-feeding model policy.
BFHI is a global program sponsored by the World Health
Orgnization and UNICEF to encourage and recognize hospitals
and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for
infant-feeding. Since the implementation of BFHI, California
has seen a rise in the number of baby-friendly hospitals,
growing from 12 in 2006 to 34 in 2010. Hospitals that have
adopted BFHI practices and recommendations have the highest
rates of breastfeeding in the state.
"Model Hospital Policy Recommendations" are the guidelines
developed by the Inland Empire Breastfeeding Coalition and
approved and provided to hospitals as another resource to
improve breastfeeding policies by the DPH. The official
guidelines, which are approved and published by DPH, are
entitled, "Providing Breastfeeding Support: Model Hospital
Policy Recommendations."
Both policies include extensive additional instructions,
narrative, references and guidelines to assist hospitals and
staff in interpreting and applying these guidelines.
3)Health Care Savings Associated with Breastfeeding . Studies
have long shown that there are significant health benefits to
exclusively breastfeeding for both the child and the mother.
Among the benefits for the child are reduced likelihood of
obesity, reduced rates of asthma, type 1 and type 2 diabetes,
childhood leukemia, lower respiratory tract diseases and
gastrointestinal infections, and a lower risk of Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome. For mothers, the health benefits include a
lower risk of maternal type 2 diabetes, and lower rates of
ovarian and breast cancer.
A 2010 University of California study on breastfeeding found
that if 90% of all women exclusively breastfed their infants
for the first six months it would save $13 billion per year in
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health care costs and prevent close to 1,000 deaths annually
(95% of them infants).
4)Related Legislation . SB 22 (Migden), Statutes of 2007,
requires DPH to recommend training for general acute care
hospitals and special hospitals to improve breast-feeding
rates among mothers and infants. Also requires the Department
of Health Care Services to streamline and simplify existing
Medi-Cal Program procedures to improve access to lactation
support and breast pumps among Medi-Cal recipients.
In 2009, AB 513 (De Leon) required health plans and those
health insurers that provide maternity benefits to provide
coverage for lactation consultation with an international
board-certified lactation consultant and the provision of a
breast pump.
In his veto message, Gov. Schwarzenegger noted, "I share the
author's interest in promoting safer, healthier outcomes for
mothers and their children. . . . However, the addition of a
new mandate, no matter how small, will only serve to increase
the overall cost of health care."
Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)
319-2081