Thankfully Peggy's story has garnered national attention and is making its rounds through many other blogs and other national media outlets. And she is also making a positive statement not just for health insurance gender discrimination, but for VBAC access as well.
ABC News covered her story for their "Closer Look" segment when she was here. You can watch the video here.
Her story is also used in an ad for health care reform sponsored by the Americans United for Change. You can see the ad here.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Interesting Article on "C-Section Backlash"
In a recent article on the Daily Beast the subject of the cesarean backlash is discussed. While the author attempts to make the article unbiased, it is always in the "eye of the beholder," as it were, to interpret the meaning of the article. You can read the comments to see how across the board each person reacted.
In general, the article brings up important points: women are becoming increasingly discouraged by the current state of maternity care and the options available and the cesarean rate has increased over the past 11 years and continues to do so. But to use words like "angry" and "subculture" implies that the women who join ICAN or begin blogs, etc to heal from birth trauma are somehow fringe or misplacing their emotions. That is a disservice to the women and their experiences.
And to other women to assume that not wanting a primary or repeat cesarean somehow makes you "subculture". That is assuming a blanket acceptance from all women when it comes to cesarean. In general, most women do not assume they will end up with a cesarean. They may be open to induction or epidurals, etc, but they trust that the outcome will be vaginal birth. For some women, the shock and dismay of not getting the vaginal birth they assumed was going to happen is traumatic. For others, the treatment in the hospital creates trauma. Whatever the case, their feelings and response are valid, not angry.
And for what it is worth, the artist of cesarean art they mention in the article was not always anonymous. She used to list a contact email and her name on the website. Unfortunately she received so much hate mail that she was forced to temporarily take the site down and then, once reinstated, remove any and all personal data from it. Her healing passage, that was a help to many women who had experienced similar trauma, was seen as "angry" and "subculture".
In general, the article brings up important points: women are becoming increasingly discouraged by the current state of maternity care and the options available and the cesarean rate has increased over the past 11 years and continues to do so. But to use words like "angry" and "subculture" implies that the women who join ICAN or begin blogs, etc to heal from birth trauma are somehow fringe or misplacing their emotions. That is a disservice to the women and their experiences.
And to other women to assume that not wanting a primary or repeat cesarean somehow makes you "subculture". That is assuming a blanket acceptance from all women when it comes to cesarean. In general, most women do not assume they will end up with a cesarean. They may be open to induction or epidurals, etc, but they trust that the outcome will be vaginal birth. For some women, the shock and dismay of not getting the vaginal birth they assumed was going to happen is traumatic. For others, the treatment in the hospital creates trauma. Whatever the case, their feelings and response are valid, not angry.
And for what it is worth, the artist of cesarean art they mention in the article was not always anonymous. She used to list a contact email and her name on the website. Unfortunately she received so much hate mail that she was forced to temporarily take the site down and then, once reinstated, remove any and all personal data from it. Her healing passage, that was a help to many women who had experienced similar trauma, was seen as "angry" and "subculture".
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Doulas Now Covered Under Insurance
According to a recent email sent out by CAPPA , certified doulas are now able to apply for a National Provider Identification number to submit paperwork for reimbursement for their work. This is a great opportunity for more mothers to have doulas attend their labor. How it will work for doulas getting reimbursed what they would have made is another story. But considering that doulas help women avoid unnecessary interventions and unecessary cesareans, it is very good news.
The change in policy for insurance reimbursement took place October 1, 2009, so everything is still very new. No word yet on what insurance companies and plans have added or will add doula services to their plans since the change took effect. But just to know that there is a legal recognition of what doulas do as part of the birth team is good news.
The change in policy for insurance reimbursement took place October 1, 2009, so everything is still very new. No word yet on what insurance companies and plans have added or will add doula services to their plans since the change took effect. But just to know that there is a legal recognition of what doulas do as part of the birth team is good news.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
ICAN Needs Your Help
After a very successful day in Washington, DC, ICAN was asked to provide more stories of discrimination in cases of health insurance. Peggy Robertson did a great job speaking in front of a rather impressive panel of the HELP committee. You can see a video of her testimony here. (Her testimony starts at the 83:59 mark)
So if you or anyone you know has a story about insurance discrimination and cesarean section (higher premiums to out-right denial of benefits), please email your contact information and a brief summary of your story to Gretchen Humphries via email or you can snail mail to ICAN of Ann Arbor, PO Box 48, Stockbridge, MI 49285.
So if you or anyone you know has a story about insurance discrimination and cesarean section (higher premiums to out-right denial of benefits), please email your contact information and a brief summary of your story to Gretchen Humphries via email or you can snail mail to ICAN of Ann Arbor, PO Box 48, Stockbridge, MI 49285.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
ICAN is coming to DC!
ICAN Advocacy Director Gretchen Humphries and an ICAN member who faced discrimination for cesarean section as pre-existing condition were invited to come speak at a Senate hearing tomorrow. This is very exciting news. The forum is called, "What Women Want: Equal Health Care for Equal Premiums." It is geared towards providing fair coverage for women under private insurance policies.
Unfortunately as it stands now, women should expect to pay higher premiums and be denied potential coverage for "pre-exisiting conditions" such as previous cesarean, previous childbirth in general and even history of domestic abuse. While to the average person such denials seem barbaric and unconstitutional, to an insurance actuary (who job it is to come up with dollars and cents numbers) these women represent an increase in what the insurance company will have to pay out.
Hopefully the panel tomorrow will shed more light onto the unfair practices and out right gender discrimination women face when they apply for insurance.
Unfortunately as it stands now, women should expect to pay higher premiums and be denied potential coverage for "pre-exisiting conditions" such as previous cesarean, previous childbirth in general and even history of domestic abuse. While to the average person such denials seem barbaric and unconstitutional, to an insurance actuary (who job it is to come up with dollars and cents numbers) these women represent an increase in what the insurance company will have to pay out.
Hopefully the panel tomorrow will shed more light onto the unfair practices and out right gender discrimination women face when they apply for insurance.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Rethinking Preterm in Regards to Repeat Cesarean
According to the March of Dimes, preterm is any baby that is born before 37 weeks. They say about 12.8% of all births in the United States are preterm and this rate is steadily rising. But a recent study came out that highlighted the risk of increased complications like respiratory distress and lung/digestive prematurity for babies born before 39 weeks via cesarean section.
In the past the trend has gone towards earlier, repeat cesarean, rather than waiting until closer to term (39 weeks). As this study shows, this has lead to an increase in complications for the baby. And since many of the determinations of gestational age were based on ultrasound and/or a "guess" at conception date, there is a chance that this time frame was off. So perhaps many families went in to a cesarean thinking they had a healthy, term baby only to end up in the NICU.
How can this be helped? With increased research into the incidence of complications regarding cesarean before 37 weeks and a clear VBAC policy that respects women. Many of the women who have repeat cesareans are not given the option of VBAC. And if the hospital is not set up for emergencies that would necessitate cesarean in cases of VBAC, what are the odds that they will have a top-of-the-line NICU to accommodate the newborn in case of complications.
In the past the trend has gone towards earlier, repeat cesarean, rather than waiting until closer to term (39 weeks). As this study shows, this has lead to an increase in complications for the baby. And since many of the determinations of gestational age were based on ultrasound and/or a "guess" at conception date, there is a chance that this time frame was off. So perhaps many families went in to a cesarean thinking they had a healthy, term baby only to end up in the NICU.
How can this be helped? With increased research into the incidence of complications regarding cesarean before 37 weeks and a clear VBAC policy that respects women. Many of the women who have repeat cesareans are not given the option of VBAC. And if the hospital is not set up for emergencies that would necessitate cesarean in cases of VBAC, what are the odds that they will have a top-of-the-line NICU to accommodate the newborn in case of complications.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Doulas and Flu Season
Here in DC a local hospital group had declared that only one person may be in the room with a laboring woman at a time. This left many local doulas out in the cold as they were considered "visitor" rather than part of the birth team. Many women (and doulas) were upset about this because they were counting on continuous labor support.
The hospitals logic was that it was too much a risk during this particular flu season because of the added risk of Swine Flu. The CDC and other medical groups consider pregnant women and children under 6 months of age to be especially vulnerable to the Swine Flu, so it understandable that they would want to take some extra precuations for preventing the flu.
But would not allowing doulas into the labor rooms (or even the hospital) violate the rights of the laboring women? Number 15 in the brochure "The Rights of Childbearing Women" put out by Childbirth Connection states
Every woman has the right to receive continuous social, emotional and physical support during labor and birth from a caregiver who has been trained in labor support.
Luckily the hospital group has since, after pressure from consumers and doulas, reversed this policy and added the doula to the list of "birth team" so that they may be allowed into the room with the laboring mother and the father. This is a win for responsible maternity care in the DC Metro area. I can only hope other hospitals will realize the vital role doulas play in labor and birth during this flu season.
The hospitals logic was that it was too much a risk during this particular flu season because of the added risk of Swine Flu. The CDC and other medical groups consider pregnant women and children under 6 months of age to be especially vulnerable to the Swine Flu, so it understandable that they would want to take some extra precuations for preventing the flu.
But would not allowing doulas into the labor rooms (or even the hospital) violate the rights of the laboring women? Number 15 in the brochure "The Rights of Childbearing Women" put out by Childbirth Connection states
Every woman has the right to receive continuous social, emotional and physical support during labor and birth from a caregiver who has been trained in labor support.
Luckily the hospital group has since, after pressure from consumers and doulas, reversed this policy and added the doula to the list of "birth team" so that they may be allowed into the room with the laboring mother and the father. This is a win for responsible maternity care in the DC Metro area. I can only hope other hospitals will realize the vital role doulas play in labor and birth during this flu season.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
October 4-10 is Midwifery Week
The American College of Nurse-Midwives are celebrating National Midwifery Week starting October 4, 2009. This is an excellent opportunity to spread the word about the Midwifery Model of Care. In general, midwives have a much lower cesarean rate than that of other prenatal care providers. It is time midwives of all stripes were celebrated as the necessary care providers that they are. Information is provided on the ACNM website link about hosting a party of your own.
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