BO’s Act

This bill tells the Department of Health and Human Services to study home cardiorespiratory monitors for babies and report back within one year. The study must look at how well these devices track a baby’s heart rate, oxygen levels, and other signs, and whether they actually help prevent sudden unexpected infant death. It also has to explore better ways to make babies’ sleep environments safer, and suggest when health plans should cover these monitors if they’re proven to work.

Key points

• Who is affected: Parents and caregivers of infants, pediatric health providers, and health insurers.
• What changes: A federal study and a formal report on device effectiveness, care models for safer sleep at home, and recommendations on insurance coverage criteria for these monitors.
• When: The report is due within one year after the bill becomes law.

There are no direct rules for families right now. But the results could lead to clearer guidance for parents and doctors and could influence whether insurance covers these monitors in the future.