Contact: Ernie Blazar 202-224-7627 Shana Stribling 224-0309
Friday, July 12, 2002

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Kit Bond today announced that the Senate Finance Committee approved his legislation, the Mothers and Newborns Health Insurance Act (S. 724). Bond’s legislation, co-sponsored by John Breaux (D-LA) will boost access to prenatal care for low income women.

“This legislation will increase access to healthcare for thousands of pregnant women and children across the country,” said Bond.

Currently, over nine million children and 400,000 pregnant women in America go without health insurance coverage. For many women of modest means, health insurance is simply unaffordable. Many others are actually eligible for a public program like Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but they are not enrolled.

Bond’s legislation will give states the option of providing prenatal care to low-income pregnant women under state CHIP programs as well as allow states to enroll newborns in the program automatically.

“Lack of insurance is not only a large barrier to prenatal care, it is also a health risk. We know that infants born to mothers receiving late or no prenatal care are about twice as likely to be low birth weight as those born to mothers receiving early prenatal care,” said Bond. “This plan is a step in the right direction to ensure mothers and infants receive the care they need.”