Nearly Half of All US Births Paid for With Medicaid

[n2doc]

Federal funding in the form of Medicaid is used to pay for 45 percent of all births in the US, according to new research published in the journal Women's Health Issues, which analyzed the 4 million births that took place in the nation in 2010.

According to the researchers, who gathered data from all 50 states, the Medicaid information will allow health professionals and researches to gauge the impact of health care reform on maternal and child health.

Lead author of the study Anne Markus, an associate professor of health policy at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, said that as some states expand their Medicaid programs under the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act it may lead to improved women's and maternity heath care practices and perhaps result in better health outcomes.

"As states expand coverage, low-income women of childbearing age will be able to obtain more continuous coverage before and between pregnancies," said Markus. "Now, for the first time, researchers will have a comprehensive baseline that will help them determine how increased access to services might change pregnancies and ultimately birth outcomes."

more

http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/3919/20130910/nearly-half-births-paid-medicaid.htm

[philosslayer]

1. And this is a problem ... why?

Why is this news worthy? Is it because lower income women are receiving proper health care (at least when they're pregnant). Horrors.

[n2doc]

2. It is only a problem if we cut medicaid

Which is a top priority for the Repubs. I don't think the average person realizes how important medicaid is to the American people. Maybe you already knew this statistic, I sure didn't.

[JimDandy]

7. The problem is Repubs are using birth certificates as their weapons

Last edited Wed Sep 11, 2013, 11:22 AM - Edit history (1)

to obtain what the percentage is of childbirths to low-income women, because they started pushing for states to require the parents to disclose whether their child's birth was paid by Medicaid or not. This happened under the Bush administration and became law in 2003.

33 states have now fallen in line to the demands of Repub operatives and are collecting that info on their birth certificates. And if the parent refuses to answer that question on their child's birth certificate, the nurse is often required to fill it out before the hospital turns in the form.

[Generic Other]

18. So modern birth certificates make a distinction

between classes?

That is shocking. I believe we should provide medical care to those who cannot afford it, but I am also surprised to see the numbers. And I blame decades of Republican interference in women's reproductive healthcare issues for the current economic status of half the mothers in this country. It is a domino effect and it is sad to see how it impacts women and families.

A. First, they constantly tell teenage girls not to have sex. Slut shame them to stay "pure." So even talking about birth control is out of the question as it is planning to be "impure." One must be abstinent. Nothing else will suffice.
B. They deliver the message that abortion is murder. No matter how a woman tries to avoid it, the accusation is thrown at her with a viciousness that is frightening.
C. So there is only one alternative when Part A fails. And only half the women in America can afford to pay for that alternative.

That is the fault of the religious right and has been shamelessly exploited by the rest of them in order to pander for votes.

And people claim it isn't a class war?

[JimDandy]

19. Excellent post tying togethet what initially looks like disperate problems.

[HERVEPA]

3. Poster didn't say it was a problem

Maybe actually read the post carefully before jumping into unwarranted snark?

[philosslayer]

15. There was no intended snark

I just got the overall opinion that the article implied that this was a bad thing. No offense intended

[HERVEPA]

17. If so, my apologies.

[JimDandy]

5. The horror to me is that how you paid for your child's birth

is now a question on birth certificates in 33 states! And if the parent chooses not to fill out the question, the hospitals instruct their nurses to do so.

That's how this study obtained their data. And the study's conclusion is essentially 'Hey, you 17 states not forcing parents to reveal whether their child's birth was paid for by medicaid need to do so to make it easier for us to collect this data.'

[Tanuki]

12. I wasn't aware of this, and it is terrible to stigmatize people that way.

So I guess this means that throughout life every time the person needs to present the birth certificate, as an ID for obtaining a driver's license, voting, etc., that personal information will be out there for all to see. Pretty disgusting and typical for Repugs.

[JimDandy]

13. I don't know if it's on both long and short form birth certificates.

My birth certificate that I present, when required, is a long-form (all questions and answers shown) one, but most people seem to get the short form.

The question has only been asked since 2003, but for those individuals being branded forever as born into a low-income household...well that doesn't seem fair to me either.

[Sunlei]

4. a shame all those Federal dollars are handed over to 'for profit' middlemen who take a huge cut

All those military bases closing and not even a few that could be used as public health hospitals.

[Safetykitten]

6. And?

[Sunlei]

8. and will probably be 99% of usa births once Rs closeall low cost healthcare & restrict birth control

[cyberswede]

10. If we had national healthcare, like we should, then all births would be paid for.

[JimDandy]

16. Average cost of a normal birth is btw $3,500 and $9,000.

If you're hearing of $100,000 childbirth bills, those are probably NICU babies that needed intensive care and long-term stays.

Remember, too, that the majority of people giving birth are young, so the same time period that they have children also coincides with the time period when they are making the lowest incomes in their lives.

[One_Life_To_Give]

14. Born into Poverty

While currently an alarming 22% of kids live in Poverty. 45% born requiring medicare bodes even worse for the years to come. If we can't provide homes with solid financial foundations for a larger percentage of kids. We can expect many more social ill's to result.

[Egalitarian Thug]

20. K&R Racing toward idiocracy. n/t