| From: The Pro-Life Infonet <infonet@prolifeinfo.org> Reply-To: Steven Ertelt <infonet@prolifeinfo.org> Subject: New Bush Policy Promotes Medical Care for Unborn Children Source: New York Times; July 6, 2001 New Bush Policy Promotes Medical Care for Unborn Children Washington, DC -- The Bush administration has drafted a policy that would allow states to define an unborn child as a person eligible for medical coverage under the Children's Health Insurance Program. Federal officials said the change would increase insurance coverage for prenatal care and deliveries, improving medical care for pregnant women and infants alike. But pro-abortion critics said the change was a backdoor attempt to advance the administration's opposition to abortion and to establish another legal precedent for recognizing the unborn child as a person. The administration's plans are set forth in an undated draft letter to state health officials from Dennis Smith, who supervises the program as director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations at the Health Care Financing Administration. "The purpose of this letter is to announce a new opportunity to provide health care coverage to low-income children," Smith writes. The draft letter states that Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson wants to allow an unborn child to qualify as a "targeted low-income child" eligible for the Children's Health Insurance Program. The program, popularly known as CHIP, was created in 1997. "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," Smith said. In his draft letter, Smith, a former Medicaid director in Virginia, says the Bush administration intends to issue the new policy in a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register in the near future. William Pierce, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed that Thompson is considering the change. "The purpose is simple," Pierce said. "This will increase access to prenatal care for pregnant women, the ultimate goal being healthier babies and healthier children. It could help many pregnant women who are not eligible for Medicaid or the children's health program." Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, endorsed the goal, saying, "An unborn child ought to be recognized as a full-fledged member of the human family in law and public policy." But Laurie Rubiner, vice president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, a pro-abortion group, said: "This is a backdoor attempt by the Bush administration to perpetuate its opposition to abortion rights. The real goal is to establish a legal precedent for granting personhood to fetuses." Pierce said Thompson was not trying to make a philosophical statement on abortion, but "wants to give states as much flexibility as possible to increase access to prenatal care." The letter does not say how old an unborn child would have to be to qualify. Some officials want to specify that an unborn child could qualify at a very early stage of development, soon after conception. About 3.3 million children participated last year in the children's health program, which covers a wide range of doctors' services, hospital care and prescription drugs. States set eligibility criteria for the program within broad guidelines established by federal law. Under the new policy, Smith said, states would not have to extend coverage to unborn children. But, he added, "It is well established that access to prenatal care can improve health outcomes over a child's life." -- |
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