Watered-down prenatal-care bill advances in Neb.

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Watered-down prenatal-care bill advances in Neb.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Efforts to provide prenatal care to thousands of illegal and legal residents in Nebraska officially crumbled Thursday under the weight of anti-illegal immigration sentiment and election year anxiety.
Supporters have known for a couple weeks ago that they didn't have the votes to restore prenatal care lost when a 20-year rule was struck down early this month, but lawmakers still used the end as a reminder of what is at stake.
"There will be unborn children with diseases ... and serious complications," the state will have to pay for, said Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha. "We have to do something."
Doctors have said some women have reported in recent weeks that they will get abortions because of the emotional and financial strain of not having prenatal care.
Lawmakers plan to study the prenatal care issue after the legislative session ends later this month and present possible solutions next year.
About 870 illegal immigrants and 750 legal residents lost Medicaid coverage March 1 because federal officials forced the state to eliminate a two-decade-old policy that allowed unborn children to qualify for Medicaid, which allowed women who didn't qualify themselves — including illegal immigrants — to get Medicaid-covered prenatal care.
Lawmakers had tried in recent weeks to get enough votes to create a new program that would allow the group of 1,600 women, and many more in the future, to get the type of prenatal care lost when the Medicaid rule was nixed. About a dozen states have similar programs, sanctioned and approved by the federal government, that allow unborn children to qualify for coverage.
Lawmakers also were unable to piece together a plan this late in the session that would have only covered legal residents.
Instead they approved Thursday a watered-down measure for pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence and afraid to give state officials the fathers' names. It clarifies that the state can give them Medicaid-covered prenatal care even if they don't provide the names, which often is required.
Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha said caseworkers already have the power to give such women clearance to get Medicaid, adding that the measure "doesn't do much."
Others who spoke during debate on the measure agreed.
"I'm inclined to characterize it as less than the least we can do," said Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln. "But it is better than nothing."
But some took it as a clear sign the state was moving toward eventually restoring prenatal-care coverage for women who no longer qualify for Medicaid.
"Anybody who says this isn't a positive step is missing the boat," said Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha, who made a late push to restore the care. It faltered when Gov. Dave Heineman said he couldn't support it because of his opposition to providing taxpayer benefits to illegal immigrants.
"We're going to get there."
Heineman's likely veto of that and another plan increased the number of votes lawmakers would have needed to restore prenatal care, helping kill the measures. Also, lawmakers have said privately that the upcoming election made some hesitant to support measures that would help illegal immigrants.
One lawmaker couldn't hide her disgust after listening to fellow lawmakers praise the small measure approved Thursday.
"I refuse to stand here and let us all pat ourselves on the back like we're doing something wonderful," said Sen. Amanda McGill of Lincoln, adding hatred for illegal immigrants caused inaction on the prenatal care issue. She and supporters of prenatal care for illegal immigrants have stressed that their children, once born, will be U.S. citizens and the state will have to pay for health problems that could have been avoided with proper prenatal care.
"That hatred and dislike for illegal immigrants ... is what is driving this debate," she said.
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