March of Dimes Statement on Introduction of "Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Act of 2001"
Washington, DC, June 12, 2001—The following is a statement by Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, President of the March of Dimes, on the introduction of the "Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Act of 2001":
Today, on behalf of more than 3 million volunteers and 1600 staff members of the March of Dimes, I applaud the introduction of the ‘Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Act of 2001’ authored by Senators Bingaman (D-NM), Lugar (R-IN), McCain (R-AZ) and Corzine (D-NJ). Enactment of this legislation would ensure that 95% of all pregnant women in the United States would have access to health insurance coverage.
The March of Dimes is committed to increasing access to appropriate and affordable health care for women, infants, and children, and therefore, strongly supports giving states the option to cover income eligible pregnant women through Medicaid and SCHIP. SCHIP is the only major federally funded health program that denies coverage to pregnant women while providing coverage to their infants and children.
Lack of coverage is a significant barrier to health care—infants born to mothers receiving late or no prenatal care are at twice the risk of being born low birthweight as those born to mothers receiving early prenatal care. Moreover, low birthweight/ preterm births are one of the three most expensive reasons for a hospital stay in the United States—young working families with limited income need this help.
A report commissioned by the March of Dimes highlights the insurance status of pregnant women. Written by Kenneth Thorpe, PhD of Emory University, the report finds:
- Nearly one in five women of childbearing age (15-44)—or 11.7 million women—was uninsured in 1999.
- In 1999, 13.4 percent of pregnant women (more than 420,000) were uninsured, an increase from 11 percent in 1990.
- Eighty percent of uninsured pregnant women and adolescents in 1999 (about 340,000) could have been enrolled in Medicaid and SCHIP, but remained uninsured.
- If these women and adolescents were enrolled and SCHIP was expanded to cover income-eligible pregnant women age 19 and older, over 95 percent of all pregnancies would be covered.
The March of Dimes congratulates the sponsors for writing a bill that has bipartisan support. We will be working hard to ensure that Congress does not adjourn before providing health coverage to pregnant women age 19 and older who meet the SCHIP income criteria.
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