2||0|0yesyes
0|0|Bush Plan Allows States to Give %27Unborn Child%27 Medical Coverage|kskiska||01:21:37|07/06/2001|                                     July 6%2C 2001 %0D%0A                                     By ROBERT PEAR%0D%0A%0D%0AWASHINGTON%2C July 5 %97 The Bush%0D%0Aadministration has drafted a new policy%0D%0Athat would allow states to define %22an%0D%0A                                     unborn child%22 as a person eligible for medical%0D%0A                                     coverage under the Children%27s Health Insurance%0D%0A                                     Program. %0D%0A%0D%0A                                     Federal officials said the change would increase%0D%0A                                     insurance coverage for prenatal care and%0D%0A                                     deliveries%2C by allowing states to cover pregnant%0D%0A                                     women who are not eligible for Medicaid or the children%27s health program.%0D%0A%0D%0A                                     But critics said the change was a backdoor effort to advance the administration%27s%0D%0A                                     anti-abortion agenda and to establish a legal precedent for recognizing the fetus as a%0D%0A                                     person.%0D%0A%0D%0A                                     The administration%27s plans are set forth in an undated draft letter to state health officials%0D%0A                                     from Dennis G. Smith%2C who supervises the program as director of the Center for Medicaid%0D%0A                                     and State Operations at the Health Care Financing Administration. %0D%0A%0D%0A                                     %22The purpose of this letter is to announce a new opportunity to provide health care%0D%0A                                     coverage to low- income children%2C%22 Mr. Smith writes.%0D%0A%0D%0A                                     The draft letter states that Tommy G. Thompson%2C the secretary of health and human%0D%0A                                     services%2C wants to allow an unborn child to qualify as a %22targeted low-income child%22 eligible%0D%0A                                     for the Children%27s Health Insurance Program. %0D%0A%0D%0A                                     %22This would mean that regardless of the age of the mother%2C eligibility for the unborn child%0D%0A                                     may be established%2C thereby making services including prenatal care and delivery%0D%0A                                     available%2C%22 Mr. Smith explained.%0D%0A%0D%0A                                     In his draft letter%2C Mr. Smith%2C a former Medicaid director in Virginia%2C says the Bush%0D%0A                                     administration intends to issue the new policy in a notice of proposed rule-making in the%0D%0A                                     Federal Register in the near future. %0D%0A%0D%0A                                     William A. Pierce%2C a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services%2C%0D%0A                                     confirmed that Mr. Thompson was considering the change.%0D%0A%0D%0A                                     %22The purpose is simple%2C%22 Mr. Pierce said. %22This will increase access to prenatal care for%0D%0A                                     pregnant women%2C the ultimate goal being healthier babies and healthier children. It could%0D%0A                                     help many pregnant women who are not eligible for Medicaid or the children%27s health%0D%0A                                     program.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A                                     Douglas D. Johnson%2C legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee%2C said he%0D%0A                                     was unaware of the administration%27s plan. He endorsed the goal%2C however%2C saying%2C %22An%0D%0A                                     unborn child ought to be recognized as a full-fledged member of the human family in law%0D%0A                                     and public policy.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A                                     But Laurie Rubiner%2C vice president of the National Partnership for Women and Families%2C an%0D%0A                                     advocacy and education group that supports abortion rights%2C said%3A %22This is a backdoor%0D%0A                                     attempt by the Bush administration to perpetuate its opposition to abortion rights. The real%0D%0A                                     goal is to establish a legal precedent for granting personhood to fetuses.%22%0D%0A%0D%0Amore%85%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2001%2F07%2F06%2Fpolitics%2F06FETU.html%0D%0A
1|1|Buzzflash|YANG||01:53:51|07/06/2001|Just sent me to an anti-abortion site that is really grizzly.  Does anyone know if there is a psychosis related to seeing mutilated babies%3F  If any provider needs protection in the Bay Area let me know.%0D%0A%0D%0AYou must take the bull by the tail and look the facts in the face--W.C. Fields
2|1|Soylent Green is babies%21|Mary Pat||02:18:20|07/06/2001|Wasn%27t it Jonathan Swift who first offered the %22Modest Proposal%22 of eating babies%3F What better way to seriously implement Swift%27s satirical suggestion than for the state to take over the pregnacies%2C labors%2C and deliveries of poor women who can%27t afford to feed any more children%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AWhoa%21 My mind is really wandering now. Better get some sleep.