Should Health Insurance Plans Cover Maternity as a Standard Benefit?
Last week we directed readers of our weekly update to this article chronicling the story of a self-employed Austin-area woman who struggles to find a health insurance plan that will provide her with maternity coverage.
Five days after that story was posted online Senator Kyl of Arizona made the following remarks in defense of his proposed amendments to the Senate Finance Committee’s health reform bill which would strike language defining which benefits employers are required to cover:
“I don’t need maternity care,” Kyl said. “So requiring that on my insurance policy is something that I don’t need and will make the policy more expensive.”
Women around the country have been outraged at these remarks and in response, the National Women’s Law Center launched a baby photo email campaign to let Senator Kyl and his colleagues in the Senate know that coverage for women’s health, including basic maternity care, must be included in health reform.
What do you think? Should health insurance plans cover maternity as a standard benefit? Leave a comment and share your opinion.
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Yes, Maternity care should be a REQUIRED coverage under all plans, Healthy mom’s deliver healthier babies. NO questions. what is next? deny coverage to diabetics, or what about deny coverage because you fell off your bike and broke your arm. Medical coverage is there for a reason, to cover all medical necesities and Maternity coverage is a medical necesity for a healthy life.