{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-216.2975","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 216.2975","heading":"Definitions for section -- Perinatal palliative care program or support","body":"services referrals -- Cabinet for Health and Family Services to maintain list of perinatal palliative care programs or service providers.\n(1) As used in this section:\n(a) \"Baby\" includes both an unborn child as defined in KRS 311.781 and an infant as defined in KRS 311.821;\n(b) \"Perinatal\" means occurring in, concerned with, or being in the period around the time of birth; and\n(c) \"Pregnant\" has the same meaning as in KRS 311.772.\n(2) All hospitals and freestanding birthing centers offering obstetric services and maternal-fetal medicine, and the pregnant woman's attending physician or midwife, shall offer to provide or make referrals to a perinatal palliative care program or perinatal palliative care support services for pregnant women, birth fathers, and family members when there is a:\n(a) Prenatal diagnosis indicating that a baby may die before or after birth;\n(b) Diagnosis of fetal anomalies where the likelihood of long -term survival is uncertain or minimal; or\n(c) Newborn who is diagnosed with a potentially life-limiting illness.\n(3) Perinatal palliative care programs and support services shall include but not be limited to:\n(a) Coordination of care between medical, obstetric, neonatal, and perinatal palliative care providers, hospital staff, and the pregnant woman, birth father, and family members;\n(b) Care and specialized support through the remainder of a pregnancy, the birth, the newborn period, and the death;\n(c) Providing anticipatory guidance, education, and support for pregnant women, birth fathers, and family members before, during, and after delivery;\n(d) Providing resources and referrals as needed;\n(e) Assistance with making medical decisions;\n(f) Counseling;\n(g) Education, including specific information about the baby’s diagnosis;\n(h) Emotional support;\n(i) Guidance on what to expect throughout the grieving process;\n(j) Assistance with the creation of memories and keepsakes;\n(k) Preparation for meeting the baby and understanding the limitations that may be present at birth;\n(l) Pastoral, emotional, and spiritual support for pregnant women, birth fathers, and family members; and\n(m) Preparing a plan of care for the baby, w hich may include medical interventions as needed in the home, hospital, or neonatal hospice.\n(4) The Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall create and maintain a list of perinatal palliative care programs and service providers on its website.\n(5) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as permitting any violation of KRS 311.723 or 311.772.","path":["KRS Chapter 216"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56436","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:52:20Z","sha256":"48b7c3c62701d5019cc37f310a4fe56752175f14d8bb3666b916bcd8580e1aa7","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-216.2970","next":"us-ky/krs-216.2980"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}