skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

WV Lawmakers May Extend Maternity Coverage for More At-Risk Pregnancies

play audio
Play

Thursday, March 21, 2013   

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A bill working its way through the state Senate would help ensure maternity care for some pregnant teens, with the expectation that it would pay off in the long run.

Sen. Ron Stollings, D-Boone, a doctor who chairs the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee, is the lead sponsor of SB 22. The bill would require Medicaid and the Public Employees Insurance Agency to cover maternity care for teen dependents, Stollings said, adding that it's a case where a little more money invested at the front end can help assure better long-term results.

"Teens who have become pregnant almost always are, by definition, a high-risk pregnancy," Stollings said. "So, you have a high-risk population that makes it even more of a risk by not having access to maternity care."

Supporters call it a question of fairness. For example, they say, if a public employee's daughter has a broken arm, that's covered - but if she gets pregnant, insurance coverage can be denied.

A joint interim committee agreed to put forward a bill after looking at how often these kinds of pregnancies result in expensive complications, Stollings said.

"Many more premature births," he said. "These usually result in a whole lot more money being spent. Instead of going home after a couple days, these folks frequently are in the intensive care units for weeks, if not months."

The bill is part of an approach many lawmakers are taking this year, trying to deal with the root causes problems - in this case, Stollings said, the situations of teen mothers and their children.

"They have much less opportunities to get a good education and to end up contributing to society in a positive way," he said.

The bill was forwarded to the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. A parallel bill is being heard before the House Banking and Insurance Committee. So far, opposition has been muted. Supporters plan to press for the legislation during what they're calling a lobby day for women's lives next Tuesday at the legislature.

Text of SB 22 is online at legis.state.wv.us.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021