The rule recognizes the unborn child as a «child» within the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The final rule issued last week «should be welcomed by all who care about the health of pregnant women and their children,» said Monsignor William Fay.
Noting that the bishops’ conference had urged the Bush administration to ensure that the unborn children of immigrant women also be eligible for coverage, Monsignor Fay said: «We are delighted to see that the recommendation is reflected in the final rule.»
In a statement, Monsignor Fay added: «The Proposed Rule serves an important goal, that of expanding access to quality prenatal care for children at their earliest and most vulnerable stages of development and to their mothers. It serves this goal by acknowledging that the child’s need for good nutrition and health care begins when the child first comes into existence, at conception. This is simply to recognize a biological fact that is already widely acknowledged in science, law and medicine.»
