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 CORZINE
JOINED BY 16 COLLEAGUES IN LETTER TO BUSH
WASHINGTON
- 08.02.01 | Senator Jon S. Corzine today organized a bipartisan letter to
President Bush opposing a draft policy developed by the Department of Health
and Human Services that would allow states to define " an unborn
child" as a "targeted low-income child" eligible for health
coverage under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). His
letter was co-signed by a bipartisan group of Senators.
"This
unnecessarily inserts abortion politics into a policy where the real goal
should be to reduce both infant and maternal mortality," the letter
states. "We share your belief that we should do all we can to expand
access to prenatal care. Prenatal care is critical to improving health
outcomes for both mother and newborn child. Yet as a nation, we do far too
little to provide this type of care. But rather than attempting to improve
the health of American women and to ensure healthy births, this policy forces
a contentious abortion battle and an arduous regulatory and legal process
that may take years to resolve."
The
United States is currently ranked 25th in infant mortality and 21st in
maternal mortality, the worst record among developed nations. Earlier this
year, New Jersey became one of two states to receive a waiver, which allows
the state to expand coverage for pregnant women under the CHIP program, whose
primary goal is to insure low-income children and provide prenatal and
maternity care for women. Senator Corzine is an original cosponsor of the
"Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Act," which would allow states to
provide health care coverage for pregnant women and children up to their
first birthday, and to expand coverage for children until their 20th birthday
through the CHIP program. The letter drafted by Senator Corzine urges the
President, "rather than focusing on the fetus, which creates controversy
where none need exist, we should expand health coverage to pregnant
women," through proposals such as the bipartisan Start Healthy, Stay
Healthy initiative.
"Given
our nation's high levels on infant and maternal mortality, we cannot let the
critical issue of extending health coverage to pregnant women spiral into an
abortion debate," the letter concludes. "Coverage of prenatal care
is an issue behind which all of us can and must unite."
August
2, 2001
The
President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C.
20500
Dear
President Bush,
We
are writing to voice our opposition to a draft policy developed by the
Department of Health and Human Services that would allow states to define
"an unborn child" as a "targeted low-income child"
eligible for health coverage under the State Children's Health Insurance
Program (CHIP). This unnecessarily inserts abortion politics into a policy
where the real goal should be to reduce both infant and maternal mortality.
We
share your belief that we should do all that we can to expand access to
prenatal care. Prenatal care is critical to improving health outcomes for
both mother and newborn child. Yet as a nation, we do far too little to
provide this type of care. But rather than attempting to improve the health
of American women and to ensure healthy births, this policy forces a
contentious abortion battle and an arduous regulatory and legal process that
may take years to resolve.
Both
Medicaid and CHIP already have mechanisms in place to provide prenatal care
to low-income women. As you know, Medicaid requires states to cover prenatal
care and maternity care for women with incomes up to 133 percent of the
federal poverty level and 39 states have higher income ceilings, making
even more women eligible for care. And while CHIP was designed to provide
health care to uninsured children, the federal government can grant waivers
to allow states to cover pregnant women as well. In fact, the Clinton
Administration granted two such waivers, to New Jersey and Rhode Island, on
January 18, 2001. There are also bipartisan efforts pending in the Congress
to expand health care coverage to pregnant women and the parents of uninsured
children that we hope you will support. The United States is currently ranked
25th in infant mortality and 21st in maternal mortality, the worst record
among the world's developed nations. Rather than focusing on the fetus, which
creates controversy where none need exist, we should expand health coverage
to pregnant women, which would improve their health and therefore the outcome
of the pregnancy.
Given
our nation's high levels of infant and maternal mortality, we cannot let the
critical issue of extending health coverage to pregnant women spiral into an
abortion debate. Coverage of prenatal care is an issue behind which all of us
can and must unite. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you to
increase access to prenatal care to reduce maternal and infant mortality, and
hope you will consider supporting the bipartisan efforts in Congress to
expand health care coverage to pregnant women and to the parents of uninsured
children.
Sincerely,
Senators
Corzine, Bingaman, Boxer, Clinton, Dayton, Feinstein, Jeffords, Kennedy,
Kerry, Lincoln, Mikulski, Murray, Reed, Schumer, Snowe, Stabenow, Torricelli
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