Posted on 04/14/2009 2:35:27 PM PDT by wagglebee
Madison, WI (LifeNews.com) -- Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle is drawing criticism from pro-life advocates upset that he removed health care coverage for poor pregnant women and their unborn children from the state budget. Officials with Wisconsin Right to Life are calling on the state legislature to put the money back in place.
Wisconsin had been one of a dozen or more states that had taken advantage of the Unborn Child Rule.
During the Bush administration, President Bush displayed his concern for both mother and unborn child by putting an administrative rule in place allowing states to cover unborn children in the SCHIP program.
The rule, in place since 2002, entitles the pregnant mother to receive health care as well as her unborn child and pro-life groups supported the rule saying it would help reduce the number of abortions for poor women who decide to have an abortion for financial reasons or lack of health care during pregnancy.
However, Governor Doyle, in his proposed budget, has included various changes to BadgerCare Plus, the state program to provide health care to low income individuals.
Wisconsin Right to Life tells LifeNews.com that, while BadgerCare Plus is a commendable program and the governor's revisions make more pregnant women eligible for benefits, the revision also calls for the deletion of benefits eligibility for the unborn child.
"In the current law on BadgerCare Plus, there are numerous references to the unborn child and the unborn child's mother. By removing benefits eligibility for the unborn child, the practical results would be most disturbing," said Susan Armacost, the group’s legislative director.
Armacost says that, with today’s technology, it is clear that the unborn child is a patient, separate from her mother.
When a premature birth is expected, it is established medical practice for the unborn child to have surfactant replacement therapy in-utero to develop the lungs and give the baby a better chance to survive after birth. This therapy is not done for the mother, it is done for the child, she explained.
Numerous other treatments and surgeries are performed in-utero for the benefit of unborn children such as blood transfusions, heart surgery, spina bifida corrective surgery and many others, she told LifeNews.com.
"By removing unborn children from eligibility under BadgerCare Plus, we should be gravely concerned that the only likely option for their mothers would be to pay for those treatments themselves,” Armacost said. “Because BadgerCare Plus is a program for low income individuals, it is unlikely that mothers would have the necessary financial resources. We fear many unborn children will be denied in-utero treatment that could save their lives.”
“"We cannot help but wonder why the governor would put unborn children at such great risk? Could it be that the mere words 'unborn child' are so distasteful to the governor and his allies in the pro-abortion movement that those words must be stricken from the statutes?” the pro-life legislative leader asked. “This is an example of the disdain with which unborn children are held by some elected officials.”
Armacost told LifeNews.com that Wisconsin Right to Life is calling on the Joint Finance Committee and the entire state legislature to maintain benefits eligibility for unborn children under BadgerCare Plus.
The U.S. Senate recently rejected an amendment that would make the Unborn Child Rule federal law.
Related web sites:
Wisconsin Right to Life - http://www.wrtl.org
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Listen, we really don’t need any new Americans when so many poor illegal immigrants are struggling to survive. Why can’t the states and the Feds cancel services to senior citizens too? Some of them are inconsiderate, lounging around on park benches illegals need to sleep on until they get brand new no-down-payment homes.
of course. does the state fund abortions?
Yeah... and if you saw the taxes Doyle is firing at Wisconsinites it becomes even more remarkable.
I’m not certain, but I think Wisconsin pays for abortions.
They are planning to do exactly that.
Their mantra is "Old people have a responsibility to die".
It's coming.
I don’t like my tax dollars paying for poor women and their pregnancy bills but I’d first get rid of a few state administrative workers like, directors, deputy directors, special assistants, commissioners and the like. I am getting close to the age where I am considered too old to be useful...not cost worthy
"Hey, Doyle!"
If Doyle wins I’m outta here. No way I’m staying in this state despite my love of the Packers. I’m already looking at Oklahoma and Louisiana.
We will go the way of Michigan.
Ha! I should mail a picture of that to Doyle The Boil. What a jerk.
“We will go the way of Michigan.”
Without some serious changes in LEADERSHIP, we certainly will. :(
I am from Wis and trying to find the best place to move out of here to. Why Oklahoma and Louisiana? Do you think that they are the best places?
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