Bill Text: NJ SR139 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges U.S. President and Congress to enact "Healthy Maternity and Obstetric Medicine Act."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-10-22 - Filed with Secretary of State [SR139 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-SR139-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Urges U.S. President and Congress to enact "Healthy Maternity and Obstetric Medicine Act."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution urging the President and Congress of the United States to enact the "Healthy Maternity and Obstetric Medicine Act."
Whereas, Access to comprehensive insurance coverage of maternity care allows women to access important pregnancy-related care, which is demonstrated to improve health outcomes for women and newborns and reduce financial costs for both consumers and insurers; and
Whereas, Uninsured women, and women enrolled in certain health plans that are not required to provide maternity coverage under the Affordable Care Act, may lack access to comprehensive and affordable maternity coverage; and
Whereas, Timely maternity care improves the health of pregnant women, as well as birth outcomes and the health of babies throughout their lifetimes; and
Whereas, Pregnancy-related maternal mortality is three to four times higher among women who receive no maternity care compared to women who do; and
Whereas, Regular maternity care can detect or mitigate serious pregnancy-related health complications, including preeclampsia, placental abruption, complications from diabetes, complications from heart disease, and Graves' disease, all of which can result in morbidity or mortality for the mother or newborn; and
Whereas, Regular maternity care can also reduce preterm births and associated health complications; and
Whereas, Timely maternity care can reduce short- and long-term health care costs by preventing health problems that result in a need for much more costly health care after the child's birth; and
Whereas, Approximately 27 percent of New Jersey residents of child-bearing age do not have insurance coverage for pregnancy; and
Whereas, Women who become pregnant and do not have coverage for maternity care may, due to limited financial resources, be forced to choose between daily life expenses and prenatal care; and
Whereas, Most health insurance plans, including those sold on the health insurance marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act, generally only permit individuals to enroll during a limited open-enrollment period each year, but additionally provide special enrollment periods for individuals facing a "life-changing event," such as retirement or divorce; and
Whereas, The Affordable Care Act provides a list of life-changing events that may qualify a person to enroll in coverage through the health insurance marketplaces outside of an open enrollment period, but pregnancy is not included in that list; and
Whereas, Providing a special enrollment period for women who become pregnant would allow them to begin to access care more quickly and efficiently than requiring them to wait for the next open enrollment period; and
Whereas, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey has introduced H.R.2866, the "Healthy Maternity and Obstetric Medicine Act," also called the "Healthy MOM Act," to provide for special enrollment periods for pregnant women in plans sold on the health insurance marketplace and in employer-sponsored health insurance plans, and it is both reasonable and necessary for the President and the Congress of the United States to enact this legislation for the benefit of pregnant women and children; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. The President and the Congress of the United States are respectfully urged to enact the "Healthy Maternity and Obstetric Medicine Act," also called the "Healthy MOM Act," to improve pregnant women's access to health insurance and maternity care during pregnancy.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and every member of the United States Congress elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the President and Congress of the United States to enact the "Healthy Maternity and Obstetric Medicine Act," also called the "Healthy MOM Act." This legislation would allow women who become pregnant to enroll in health insurance coverage outside of an open enrollment period, thus allowing them access to affordable maternity and other health care to benefit both mother and child.
