Re: Maryland Plans Medicaid Benefits Reduction for Pregnant Legal Immigrants, Children
From: Richard Chudacoff, MD (rchudacoff@mylinuxisp.com)
Fri Jun 24 08:43:22 2005
Sans rich, I agree
--
Richard Chudacoff, MD
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-----Original Message-----
From: ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net [mailto:ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net] On Behalf Of Joanne
Bulley, MD
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 10:12 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list OB-GYN-L
Subject: Re: Maryland Plans Medicaid Benefits Reduction for Pregnant Legal
Immigrants, Children
I think we really are a country of rich idiots these days!
Joanne
At Wed, 22 Jun 2005, Anna Meenan, MD wrote:
>
>So, adjoining states will experience an influx of pregnant legal
>immigrants, or the local ER's and L&D's will experience an influx of
>pregnant legal immigrants who have not had prenatal care. What a plan.
>In Illinois they've determined that it's cost-effective to provide
>prenatal care even for illegal immigrants, since they are carrying
>future US citizens, whose future medical care gets much more expensive
>if mom doesn't get prenatal care.
>
>--
> Anna Meenan, MD
>
>At Wed, 22 Jun 2005, φΉ@?wR. Daniel Braun wrote:
>>
>>.
>>
>>Maryland Plans Medicaid Benefits Reduction for Pregnant Legal Immigrants,
>>Children; Legislature Proposes Maintaining Coverage
>>
>>Access this story and related links online:
>>http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=30917
>>
>>Beginning July 1, Maryland no longer will provide Medicaid benefits for
pregnant
>>women and children who have been classified as permanent legal residents
for
>>fewer than five years, the Washington Post reports. To bring Maryland law
in
>>line with federal law, Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R) in January proposed cutting
the
>>$7 million state Medicaid program that provides health care coverage --
>>including prenatal care -- for about 4,000 legal immigrants in the state.
Since
>>1996, when the federal government changed its rules for welfare, it has
not
>>provided any Medicaid funding for individuals who have been classified as
>>permanent legal residents for fewer than five years (Wagner, Washington
Post,
>>6/22). Earlier this year, state lawmakers, in an attempt to restore some
>>funding for the pregnant women who will lose coverage, earmarked $1.5
million
>>in the state's budget to be used to pay for prenatal care services for
>>permanent legal residents. However, Ehrlich spokesperson Henry Fawell on
>>Tuesday said the administration had not decided whether to approve the
budget
>>as written. Under Maryland's constitution, the state Assembly has the
power to
>>cut funding from the governor's budget proposal but cannot add or transfer
>>money from one program to another, according to the Baltimore Sun (Green,
>>Baltimore Sun, 6/22). According to Fawell, permanent legal residents who
are
>>pregnant but will lose Medicaid coverage for prenatal care under Ehrlich's
plan
>>still will be covered under Medicaid for emergency department care and
labor
>>and
>>delivery.
>>
>>Letter
>>
>>Montgomery County, Md., Executive Douglas Duncan (D) and County Council
members
>>Tom Perez (D) and George Leventhal (D) on Tuesday sent Ehrlich a letter
saying
>>that 300 pregnant women and 1,300 children in the county stand to lose
their
>>health coverage under the plan (Washington Post, 6/22). "It is
unconscionable
>>that you would even consider ending state support for pregnant women and
>>children," the letter said, adding, "In a state as prosperous as ours,
surely
>>your administration can find the resources to help those who need help the
>>most." Duncan is an "all-but-declared" candidate for governor in 2006,
>>according to the Sun (Baltimore Sun, 6/22).
>>
>>Dean Huffman
>
--
Joanne Bulley, MD
Keene, NH, USA
