Who’s the jerk?
The Senate could be voting on a health care reform plan as soon as July. At the same time, Massachusetts is discovering how easily the best laid plans o’ men can be foiled by unscrupulous business practices. A recent Boston Globe article highlights how Massachusetts’ health care system, touted since its inception as salvation to the people, has been exploited by insurance companies who take advantage of loopholes to deny coverage to those who need it (http://www.boston.com/business/healthcare/articles/2009/06/12/health_plans_may_fall_short_mass_says/).
As the article states, the companies are following the letter of the law if not the intent. The law requires prescription coverage – but it does not indicate limits, so insurance companies are placing caps on them. They’re also denying maternity coverage to dependents – so if your 17-year-old daughter gets pregnant in Massachusetts, all expenses are coming out of pocket. Probably yours, if she can’t afford it.
I want to know the name of the jerk that sits around and identifies these loopholes: “Hey guys, check this out… did you know we can cut maternity care insurance to all pregnant teenagers? How awesome is that? Let’s do it!”
I have no problem with businesses making money. I believe in a Capitalist America. What I don’t believe in is an anti-American attitude that denies life-giving care in the name of profit. That is not the mindset our forefathers had when they laid the plans for democracy. Those men and women risked and gave their own lives to give their children better lives. The people taking advantage of these loopholes are risking the lives of children to give themselves better lives.
Makes you wonder how the hastily-drawn plan Congress is likely to vote on will fair in the grips of such insidious characters. How will we fair living under it?
North Carolina Program Pays Girls a Dollar a Day Not to Get Pregnant
By Joshua Rhett Miller
A dollar a day keeps the babies away.
That’s the incentive behind College Bound Sisters, a program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro that aims to keep 12- to 18-year-old girls in school and baby-free.
Girls in the program attend 90-minute meetings every week at which they receive lessons in abstinence and the use of contraceptives — and they receive $7 every week they do not get pregnant. The money is deposited into a fund that’s collectible when they enroll in college.
But not everyone thinks paying kids to stay childless is the right way to lower the teen pregnancy rate. They say the program sends mixed messages, specifically to parents, that incentivizing good behavior is the way to go.
“It makes me a bit uneasy,” said Bill Albert, chief program officer at the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “I do have mixed feelings. It’s hard to pay people to do something that we think they should be doing regardless. It would be like if you didn’t want young people to experiment with marijuana, you’d pay them not to do it.”
Despite what he called his “gut-level queasiness” about paying girls not to get pregnant, Albert acknowledged that creative ways are needed to address the “very challenging social issue” of teen pregnancy.
The nation’s teen birth rate, after declining for 14 consecutive years, has increased over the last two years and now stands at 7.2 pregnancies per 1,000 teenage girls, Albert said. Furthermore, he said, three out of 10 young women become pregnant by age 20, and costs associated with teen pregnancies exceed $9 billion annually.
With those figures in mind, paying girls $365 a year to stay childless seems like a “modest investment” — especially if the program works, Albert said.
Dr. Hazel Brown, co-director of the program, said six girls of the 125 who have been enrolled for six months or longer have gotten pregnant or otherwise dropped out since it began in 1997. Funded by a grant from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, Brown said it costs about $75,000 a year to operate the program.
“We talk about abstinence, but it’s not a requirement,” Brown told FOXNews.com. “We teach decision-making, being responsible and avoiding pregnancy. The meetings are very interactive.”
Enrollment in the program — which meets separately twice a week for two groups, ages 12-14 and 15-18 — is at capacity with 24 young women. To participate, girls must have never been pregnant, be enrolled in school, have a desire to attend college and have had a sister who gave birth before age 18.
Recent graduates have left the program with up to $3,000 saved up for college, including four young women who are set to begin their higher education in the fall.
Brown said the program is successful, and said its critics should consider the “cost of a teen getting pregnant,” Brown said.
“When you can prevent one of those, you’ve more than paid for a program like this,” she said. “We want to give them something to work toward. And without exception, our girls have come from homes that did not have someone with a college education …
“If somebody believes in you, there’s no end to what a lot of people can accomplish.”
Kudos To McDowell Hospital, et al.
While many hospitals are jacking up bills and forcing pregnant women into debt – or worse, shutting the door on them altogether – some have come around to embrace pregnant women and have pledged to provide prenatal care and other maternity-related services regardless of ability to pay.
One of those is McDowell Hospital in North Carolina. A recent story by the McDowell News‘ Britt Combs states that the hospital is prepared to offer prenatal care and other services to pregnant women, whether they can foot the bill or not, and to help them get Medicaid coverage if they can’t afford it. The statement was in response to the closing of the McDowell Health Department, which previously provided these services (http://www2.mcdowellnews.com/content/2009/jan/28/hospital-expects-increase-maternity-patients/).
Pregnant women have many reasons – and often good ones – to be suspicious of hospitals. I have not checked personally with the hospital to determine whether or not any hidden fees exist if a woman cannot pay. Will they be sending a bill after-the-fact? If not, if this hospital respects the sanctity of human life more than the almighty dollar, then I say kudos to them.
It doesn’t matter if the services are being offered for political or other reasons, either – if McDowell is going to ensure pregnant women and their unborn children get the proper care they need, then the hospital should be lauded, especially in this day and age. And especially if they’re willing to set up affordable payment plans for some women and foot the bill for others – and treat those who are unable to pay with the same dignity and respect as those who come in with full maternity insurance coverage.
More hospitals should be like McDowell – but I want to know if it’s on the up-and-up. So… does anyone from McDowell care to give us the details? Your comments are welcome – and I’ll publish them
The Insanity of Economy
The economy has become such a burden to the human condition that women are giving up their babies in order to provide for their older children.
American women.
You’re not removed from this – the third-world practices of “lesser” cultures have surfaced in the Land of Opportunity. It’s here, and it’s now, on our home turf.
A recent Chicago Tribune article highlighted the disastrous results of our atrocious economy and the poor decision-making of our lawmakers (http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-women-health-economy-10-mar10,0,1083254.story). They include:
- A couple forced to abort their third pregnancy because they could not afford another child – and the husband is stationed on a military base!
- Planned Parenthood announced a record number of abortions
- The Cradle reported an increase in adoption calls
- The number of pregnant women seeking financial assistance has doubled
As one respondent put it, parents can’t even support themselves, let alone a baby. While our politicians enjoy lavish birthday parties (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/09/politics/washingtonpost/main4853643.shtml), go on spa retreats (http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/national/national_govtpolitics/article/are_your_taxes_paying_for_democratic_retreat/12543/), and trips around the world (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/sfl-flgoplondon21sbdec21,0,7883162.story), Americans are struggling to do the single most vital thing to everyone’s existence: give life.
Pro-Choice versus Pro-Life has nothing to do with this. It’s one thing to force a person to give life; quite another to force a person to destroy the life of their child.
Women MUST have access to affordable, quality prenatal care. Children MUST have access to proper health care. The government can no longer ignore the insane disregard for human life.
They take away our homes. They take away our jobs. Now, they’re taking away our babies.
Don’t let this happen to you. If you’re pregnant and fear you can’t afford it, contact MaternityHealth.org for information on how you CAN receive affordable prenatal care and delivery, and even find help with your childcare expenses once your baby is born.
The gift of life is too precious to be destroyed by the economy. Don’t be a victim of others’ poor judgment – make a stand for
If Moms in the Middle Were Anything Else
If Moms in the Middle were lazy… they would be given free health care
If Moms in the Middle were foolish… they would expect to get something for nothing
If Moms in the Middle were dishonest… they would take welfare resources they do not qualify for
If Moms in the Middle were selfish… they would be apathetic toward their families
Moms in the Middle are none of these things; in fact, they are quite the opposite: industrious, intelligent, honest, and selfless. They prove their merits time and again by holding gainful employment and taking care of home and family; by working to better their economic conditions; by courageously facing truths they cannot change; by giving their time, efforts, and love to help others. I’ll leave you with one final thought:
If Moms in the Middle were given respect and fair treatment… they would not need our help.
Legislative Alert
Government-Mandated Health Insurance – Could It Be Any Simpler?
The proposal: Everyone must purchase health insurance. The government will help offset insurance costs for those who cannot afford it. Insurance companies will not deny anyone coverage or increase premiums based on an individuals’ health status.
Could it be any simpler? Such a system would not only provide health care coverage for every American, it would do so in a way that does not jeopardize the quality of care received. Because insurance and health care would remain privatized, Americans would not have to suffer through long waits for inadequate care – a fate that has riddled international universal health care systems with hassles and hold-ups.
Yes, Americans would have to make one concession: Everybody would have to purchase insurance or suffer a tax penalty. This keeps premiums low for everyone, and is the key selling point to get the insurance industry on board. Some say that this type of system will only work to keep insurance executives employed. Yes… and so what? If they’re giving Americans – and especially pregnant women – what we want and what we need, they should be able to keep their jobs. It’s funny how people will complain about universal health care coverage, yet sit idle while Congress passes a stimulus bill that, among other things, will spend half a million dollars on a fruit fly facility, millions for land acquisition, and many more millions for infrastructure updates.
Universal health care is not socialism – it is people taking care of people. That principle has nothing to do with economic systems, social classes or geography. Every one of us depends on someone else for survival, from the baby suckling from her mother’s breast to the CEO cashing in on consumer spending. Classes might be divided; but our country – and humanity – is united.
The proposed universal health care system is simple, and provides for everyone. Under it, disadvantaged pregnant women would no longer have to suffer the indignity and stress of begging for maternity services and fair and equal treatment. All pregnant women would have access to proper prenatal care, and all children would receive proper medical care.
Taxes that cover Medicaid, Medicare and a slew of other federal, state and local health care assistance programs would no longer be necessary, not to mention the taxes that currently assist hospitals in covering the costs of government-mandated emergency services for the uninsured and unable to pay. These are taxes we’re already paying.
Some have said that universal health care would cost $1.5 trillion, which might be true. What they’re leaving out of the argument is that Medicare spending alone is expected to exceed that mark within the next 20 years. By consolidating all of our health into one program, we can reduce redundancies, increase efficiencies and provide much-needed high-quality health care for everyone – including pregnant women – while still saving money.
Or, are we being set up???? I want your thoughts?
Four Things that Are Going Wrong For Uninsured Pregnant Moms in the Middle
I have covered five things that are going right for Moms in the Middle, but there’s always two sides to every story. Despite our best efforts, the current economic downturn has forced more pregnant mothers to face the world without health insurance. It doesn’t seem like it is going to get any better anytime in the near future. There is bad news everywhere you turn. Five of the worst are in this article.
COBRA Subsidy
The stimulus package enacted by the president includes a subsidy of up to 65% of your COBRA . That sounds great, but with an average bill of $1200 a month, you would still owe $420 a month. For someone who is laid off that is nearly an impossible payment to make. So while the COBRA subsidy is a good idea, it is simply not enough.
Clinics and Charities Are Overloaded
Money is pouring into charities in much higher amounts than anyone expected given the current economy. That same money is going back out again faster than it comes in, for the same reason. More and more pregnant mothers are being laid off or just let go.
Clinics have seen an upswing in the number of doctors that donate their time, but even that increase can not stem the tide of new patients waiting for them every day.
HIPAA Is For Hypocrites
While the newest HIPAA laws offer very few women the chance at health care without a waiting period, there are enough loopholes that insurance companies get out of covering many pregnant women who get new jobs. You are doing better for yourself by landing a better job, but getting kicked for changing jobs to begin with. What gives?
Fewer Jobs
Fewer jobs means more pregnant women on the look for work. Many of the employers who are hiring do not want to bring on board an employee who is going to take an extended leave in less than a year. It’s discrimination, but it happens.
Being pregnant and out of work with no insurance is bad enough, but, to make it worse, it seems the chips are stacked against you. We must persevere!
Too Busy For Baby?
I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. The number of pregnant women who take birth education (Lamaze) classes continues to decline (http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10388432&nav=menu1362_2); despite the fact that an already-convoluted medical system continually becomes more perplexing. This puts the uneducated at a severe disadvantage and opens opportunities for hospitals to push unnecessary expensive procedures in the interest of convenience and profit, while leaving Moms in the Middle vulnerable to predatory medical billing practices. Uninsured pregnant women, who often have no one to audit their medical bills, are especially at risk and can be charged as much as 400% more than insured women for the exact same procedures.
Among the reasons given for the decline are busy schedules and a reliance on books and online searches for childbirth education. If you’re an avid reader, you know that online research is one of my all-time pet peeves: For every reliable source, there’s 100 unreliable sources spewing myths and misinformation that threaten the health of mothers and their babies. Unless you know where to look, or who to trust, birth “education” administered via Google searches and potentially-biased books is not in anyone’s best interest.
Think you know what sources are reliable? I’ll bet one of your first choices is the American Medical Association – and I’ll bet you didn’t know that the AMA has proposed legislation that could potentially criminalize mothers and their midwives for delivering at home – despite the fact that studies consistently find home birth to be just as safe (if not more safe) than hospital births.
Birth education has many benefits for mother and child, including:
Natural pain reduction
More comfortable labor
Natural birthing process
No medication side effects
Accurate childbirth expectations
Support partner training
Empowerment to choose delivery environment and pregnancy outcome
Cost savings through intelligent decision-making
Labor preparation through healthy diet and exercise
Birthing option education, including water birth, home birth, and birthing stools and balls
Baby care education, including early breastfeeding techniques
All of these things contribute toward a happy, healthy baby. The question is not whether you need birth education. The question is: Can you spare a little time to protect your baby’s life?
Don’t Skip Lamaze
Breathe… breathe! That’s what most people think of when they hear the word Lamaze, and is probably why many expectant parents skip Lamaze classes. Problem is, Lamaze has come a long way since the “breathe” stereotype surfaced, and today Lamaze education is needed more than ever to facilitate natural childbirth.
Today’s Lamaze classes prepare expecting parents for labor and beyond, and leave little of the birthing process to the imagination. That’s welcome news considering many laboring women are dealt surprises once they’re admitted to the hospital. What’s more, Lamaze learning isn’t limited to parents of hospital-born babies – birthing centers and midwives can teach Lamaze, now redefined as natural birth education.
It’s important for each pregnant woman to recognize and understand the physical, mental, and emotional changes she’s experiencing in preparation for pregnancy and childbirth. Armed with this knowledge, pregnant women can fully explore their birthing options – hospital, birthing center, home birth, etc. – and make educated decisions about her prenatal care and delivery environment based on what she is experiencing.
A typical Lamaze class today will teach you natural pain reduction and birth-facilitation techniques so you can avoid invasive, unnecessary, and expensive hospital intervention. Lamaze International (www.lamaze.org) states through the Lamaze Institute for Normal Birth that “…evidence-based practices, adapted from the World Health Organization, promote, support and protect normal birth [include]:
· Labor begins on its own
· Freedom of movement throughout labor
· Continuous labor support
· No routine interventions
· Spontaneous pushing in upright or gravity-neutral positions
· No separation of mother and baby after birth, with unlimited opportunities for breastfeeding
These are powerful statements that demonstrate just how far out of touch many members of the modern American medical community are with natural laws. Lamaze is not about teaching you hospital procedure; rather, it is about teaching you how to deliver your baby naturally.
Just as beneficial is that when you know what to expect during your pregnancy and delivery, and how to handle it, you’re able to provide better care for yourself and your baby. Lamaze classes now teach the virtues of a healthy lifestyle and instructors work to dispel widely-circulated rumors that either have no benefits or can be detrimental.
Lamaze education is especially important for first-time mothers. Pregnancy is a journey, and if you don’t chart the right course from the onset you’re destined for disaster. That’s why Lamaze education should be an integral component of your overall prenatal maternity care plan.
It is your duty to protect your baby. Lamaze education is a small investment that plays a major role in your pregnancy and childbirth. Don’t skip it.
