[PART XXVI.
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[PART XXVI. PRENATAL HEALTH CARE]
[§321-331] Prenatal health care; authority.
(a)The department of health may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to ensure that all pregnant women in this State are offered appropriate information, quality testing, diagnostic services, and follow-up services concerning neural tube defects and other disorders amenable to prenatal diagnosis. The purpose of prenatal screening and diagnosis is to obtain vital information for the pregnant woman and her family as well as for the providers of her health care. It can be used to provide appropriate care and to assist the woman and her family to achieve optimal health outcomes. Nothing in this section shall be construed to mean that prenatal screening and testing are mandatory.
(b)The department of health may:
(1)Provide educational resources to all women in the State before and early in pregnancy about the availability of prenatal tests, including non-directive counseling and impartial information on the benefits, risks, and limitations of prenatal tests;
(2)Make available prenatal screening and diagnosis tests to all pregnant women in this State who choose to be so screened;
(3)Specify the diseases which may be screened for;
(4)Determine screening and diagnostic test methodologies;
(5)Establish laboratory quality control standards for performance of designated tests;
(6)Provide technical assistance to laboratories, hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers;
(7)Maintain a confidential registry and collect appropriate statistical data for the purposes of research and evaluation;
(8)Collect fees for program services; and
(9)Maintain confidentiality of records of women and their families participating in the program. [L 1988, c 23, §1]