Health Care ReformThe March of Dimes is deeply engaged with Congress and the Obama Administration to make sure the health needs of women, infants and children are addressed in health care reform deliberations. When women and children have health insurance, their access to health services improves and they are much less likely to go without needed care. The March of Dimes believes that insurance � whether private or public — should cover all medically necessary preventive and treatment services.

Specifically we are working to improve:

• Coverage for all women of childbearing age, infants, and children;
• Coverage for maternity and pediatric care;
• Protection of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility and benefits;
• Smoking cessation benefits for pregnant women; and
• Coverage for preconception and interconception care.

The documents below represent some of our current activity from  letters to Congress to advertisements in Capitol Hill publications  to the work we did advocating for the passage of the Children�s  Health Insurance Program (P.L. 111-3) to ensure that states have  the authority and resources needed to enroll all income-eligible children and pregnant women.

For More Information:

• Background on March of Dimes involvement with CHIP legislation
• Letter to House leaders on America�s Affordable Health Choices Act, H.R. 3200 (2009)
• March of Dimes Comments to the Senate Finance Committee regarding expansion of health care coverage (2009)
• Letter to Senator Edward Kenneday regarding the Afforable Health Choices Act (2009)
• Joint letter from March of Dimes, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Association of Women�s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses to U.S. Senators urging inclusion of maternity coverage (2009)
• Comments on the health care reform bill currently being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives (2009)
• Medicaid Family Planning State Option fact sheet (2008)
• Medicaid Coverage of Smoking Cessation for Pregant Woman fact sheet (2008)