Under current rules, women can sign up for health insurance through Covered California outside of the annual enrollment period when they give birth, but not when they become pregnant.The senators write: “Allowing women to purchase health insurance during pregnancy will increase access to care and has the potential to improve health, save lives, and reduce future health costs.”
Text of the letter is included below:
March 11, 2015
Peter Lee
Executive Director
Covered California
560 J Street, Suite 290
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Director Lee,
We are writing to ask that you add pregnancy as a qualifying life event for a special enrollment period outside of open enrollment season through Covered California. Prenatal care is critical for ensuring a healthy pregnancy and positive outcomes for both the baby and the mother. Especially since having a child is a qualifying life event, it makes sense to ensure that access to care is granted prior to birth.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prenatal care and continuous monitoring during a pregnancy are “key to preventing pregnancy-related complications and death.” Babies whose mothers do not have access to prenatal care are three times more likely to be born underweight, and five times more likely to die than those who are born to mothers that do receive prenatal care. Prenatal care also offers crucial benefits to mothers—routine pregnancy care can prevent or mitigate serious conditions including preeclampsia, diabetes, and heart conditions.
Allowing women to purchase health insurance during pregnancy will increase access to care and has the potential to improve health, save lives, and reduce future health costs.
Thank you for your continued leadership in improving access to health care. We appreciate your consideration and look forward to working with you to address this issue.
Sincerely,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
