Minnesota Plan to Cover Unborn Children Receives Bush Admin. Approval

Life News ^ | August 6, 2003 | Steven Ertelt

[hocndoc]

Minnesota becomes the fourth state to take advantage of the policy and it joins Illinois, Michigan and Rhode Island.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson approved Minnesota's request.

"Prenatal care is crucial to the health of both mother and child, and this change will allow Minnesota to offer prenatal care to thousands of additional pregnant mothers and their unborn children," Secretary Thompson said. "Vital services during pregnancy can be a life-long determinant of health and we should do everything possible to make this care available to everyone."

The state expects to enroll more than 3,700 pregnant women under the plan.

Planned Parenthood and abortion advocates oppose the Bush policy because it gives unborn children further recognition under law and they say it is a first step to eliminating abortion.

[hocndoc]

I'm not sure why Texas is not mentioned, because we count family members in the same way - the unborn child is used for purposes of determining eligibility for Medicaid, and prenatal care is covered.

But, this does show that the "pro-choice" are in fact anti-woman. The woman's health depends on prenatal care. And they would rather Medicaid paid for an abortion than pre-natal care, just so the child isn't counted before birth.

I wish for smaller government, lower taxes, and more individual responsiblity, but the fact is that the children in question already exist and are at risk. Damage to them before, at or soon after birth may - probably will be irreversible. We can't undo the effects of prenatal malnutrition, rH incompatibility, or premature birth, and even our best efforts to alleviate the effects of these aren't likely to bring the child to the functional level he or she might have had otherwise and will cost so much more than prenatal care. Our society will pay for unhealthy children one way or another. We are all better off if we pay for prenatal care childbirth care if we can prevent a few million dollar Neonatal Intensive Care stays. Then, there is the possibility of life long care, lower IQ vs. a productive citizen.