Re: Bush Administration to Propose Extending CHIP Coverage to
From: art fougner, md (evsono@pipeline.com)
Fri Jul 6 12:27:53 2001
now THIS is an interesting approach - definitely a two-edged sword. more
inevitably to follow.
art
At Fri, 06 Jul 2001, Dean Huffman wrote:
>
>..
>
>Bush Administration to Propose Extending CHIP Coverage to Fetuses
>
>The Bush administration has drafted a policy that would permit states to
>make fetuses eligible for medical coverage under their CHIP programs, the
>New York Times reports. The policy is laid out in an "undated" draft letter
>to state officials from Dennis Smith, who supervises the CHIP program at
>the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (formerly HCFA). The letter
>states that HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson will propose that "an unborn
>child" may qualify as a "targeted low-income child" eligible for the CHIP
>program. Smith writes, "This would mean that regardless of the age of the
>mother, eligibility for the unborn child may be established, thereby making
>services including prenatal care and delivery available." Currently, the
>CHIP program only covers pregnant girls under the age of 18, though New
>Jersey and Rhode Island have received federal waivers to cover older
>pregnant women. And while Medicaid covers pregnant women of all ages, the
>federal government only requires states to cover women up to 133% of the
>federal poverty level; state CHIP programs often have higher income
>ceilings. The letter does not indicate how old a fetus must be to qualify
>for state coverage, and some officials "want to specify" that a fetus could
>qualify soon after conception (Pear, New York Times, 7/6). If adopted by
>the administration, states would not be required to change their CHIP
>policies but would be given the option to do so. States would also set
>income-eligibility requirements for fetuses, as they do for the rest of
>CHIP (McGinley, Wall Street Journal, 7/6). In the draft letter, Smith notes
>that the Bush administration will issue the policy in a "notice of proposed
>rule-making" in the Federal Register "in the near future," the Times reports.
>
>HHS spokesperson William Pierce confirmed that Thompson is considering the
>policy change, saying, "This will increase access to prenatal care for
>pregnant women, the ultimate goal being healthier babies and healthier
>children." But abortion-rights supporters contend that the new policy would
>jeopardize the right to choose by giving fetuses some legal rights, adding
>that states can already offer expanded access to prenatal care through
>raised income ceilings under the Medicaid program or by seeking federal
>waivers under CHIP (New York Times, 7/6). "The coverage opportunities
>already are available under current law," Cindy Mann, who worked on
>children's health coverage issues in the Clinton administration, said.
>Other critics call the proposal "politically motivated" and say it would
>not increase coverage because it does not increase CHIP funding (Wall
>Street Journal, 7/6). But Pierce said that Thompson "wants to give states
>as much flexibility as possible to increase access to prenatal care."
>National Right to Life Committee Legislative Director Douglas Johnson
>added, "An unborn child ought to be recognized as a full-fledged member of
>the human family in law and public policy." (New York Times, 7/6).
--
art fougner, md
A series of 1000 cases begins with but a single anecdote.
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