We’ve blogged before on current insurance companies’ practice of denying individual health insurance coverage to women with previous cesarean surgery. Last October, ICAN mama Peggy Robertson, accompanied by ICAN’s advocacy director Gretchen Humphries, testified on Capitol Hill about her own experience with this discriminatory practice in Colorado.
Whatever your political persuasion, last night’s passage by Congress of health reform legislation ought to bring a smile to your face on at least one count: denying women health insurance due to previous cesarean will be illegal in the United States once the bill is signed into law by President Obama.
An email sent out by the MAMA Campaign this morning also details other benefits of the reform for birthing women and their babies:
- MAMA Campaign’s “partial victory”: Senator Cantwell’s provision that will have the effect of requiring Medicaid reimbursement for licensed CPMs offering services in licensed birth centers
- American Association of Birth Center’s provision that mandates Medicaid reimbursement of the birth center facility fee
- Childbirth Connection’s provision requiring quality assessment and improvement measures specific to maternity care
- American College of Nurse Midwives’ equitable reimbursement act for Certified Nurse Midwives
One Response
I had no idea they even did that!–but I’ve had 13 VBACs since my 5th cesarean in 1996–had to fight tooth and nail for every one when I delivered in the hospital. If I hadn’t had a legal background I’d have never made it. Sometimes was even drugged and dragged to court and had to defend myself WHILE in labor. I wish I could sue for THAT.