Relating to information regarding perinatal palliative care; creating an administrative penalty.

Contracts

• EMR/EHR Vendors: Initiate change orders with Electronic Medical Record vendors immediately. Systems must be updated to host the mandatory HHSC "Perinatal Palliative Care Certification Form" and allow for e-signatures.
• Telehealth Platforms: If your practice delivers diagnostic results remotely, your telehealth platform contract must support verified, secure document signing during the consultation to satisfy the "receipt of materials" requirement.

Hiring/Training

• Clinical Training: Physicians, sonographers, and genetic counselors require training on the specific statutory definition of "life-threatening or life-limiting illness" to know when the disclosure obligation is triggered.
• Workflow Training: Staff must be trained to check the patient record for a pre-existing signed form to avoid traumatizing patients with redundant disclosures for the same pregnancy.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Mandatory Form: You must use the state-prescribed "Perinatal Palliative Care Certification Form." Homegrown forms are non-compliant.
• Audit Trail: The signed form must be permanently filed in the patient's medical record. In the event of a licensing board complaint, this document is your primary defense against administrative penalties.

Fees & Costs

• Penalties: $0 for the first violation (written warning); $1,000 for each subsequent failure to provide materials or obtain the signature.
• Operational Costs: Minimal direct costs, primarily absorbed in administrative time and EMR system configuration fees.