The March of Dimes released the following statement from President Stacey D. Stewart regarding the revised Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate of the American Health Care Act’s (AHCA) impact on coverage for maternity care:
“CBO has confirmed what the March of Dimes and other advocates have been saying for weeks: women and their families will pay higher costs and receive less coverage, especially for maternity care, under the American Health Care Act.
“CBO has stated that women living in states that modify the required essential health benefits will experience “substantial increases in out-of-pocket spending on health care” totaling “thousands of dollars in a given year.” CBO singled out maternity coverage as one of the services most likely to be excluded from coverage.
“The March of Dimes urges the U.S. Senate to abandon the AHCA’s proposal to allow states to permit insurers to exclude maternity care and other key benefits from coverage. Instead, the Senate should focus on crafting a plan that ensures quality, affordable coverage, including maternity care, for all women and families.”
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