Within Stimulus Bill, Democrats Move to Expand Medicaid

[babylonsister]

Within Stimulus Bill, Democrats Move to Expand Medicaid
By Rebecca Adams, CQ Staff


Democrats and President Obama are moving on so many fronts to change policies of the Bush administration that Republicans might not even notice them all right away, let alone be able to stop them. Last week, while social conservatives focused on Democratic legislation to expand health insurance for poor children — and on Obama’s repeal of a rule that kept some international family planning groups from even discussing abortion — House Democrats included language in their economic stimulus bill that would expand the Medicaid program and allow its use for family planning services.

Republicans have spent the better part of the past decade shrinking the Medicaid program, which states complain has gotten too expensive; states pay, on average, 43 percent of the cost. Under current law, if a state wants to use Medicaid money for family planning, it must obtain a waiver from the Department of Health and Human Services. So far, 26 states have; under the Democratic provision, none would need to.

Those in favor of the change say it would actually save the government money because birth control is a lot less expensive than prenatal care, childbirth and the subsequent medical bills of a young child. The Congressional Budget Office found that the federal government could save $160 million over a decade if it covered family planning services for women in low-income families.

Officials from Planned Parenthood, which operates nearly 880 clinics, say a recent study found that nearly half of American pregnancies are unplanned. The rate among low-income women is about four times greater than among higher-income women. Women who are not planning to get pregnant are less likely to get prenatal care, which can result in medical problems for mother and child.

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docid=weeklyreport-000003017556

[kiteinthewind]

1. Hello????

"The Congressional Budget Office found that the federal government could save $160 million over a decade if it covered family planning services for women in low-income families."
They're just now coming to this conclusion??? :think:

[babylonsister]

2. Roll 'family planning' and 'republican' around for a bit.

It wasn't going to happen on their watch.