A proposal in Utah is being made that elective epidurals and c-sections shouldn't be covered on Medicaid. There is a rumor floating around that college students are coming and having babies on the state's dime - even those from out of state - and running up the tab and costing the state a lot of money. Though previous attempts, though for different reasons, to limit medicalized childbearing options in childbirth have been shot down time after time. An epidural is apparently a "right."
There are those who would claim that other options for childbirth aren't given the same billing, despite their money saving capacity. This would include the access to water birth (instead of an epidural), midwives, birth centers and even home birth care. Women who choose these options often have to pay out of pocket, while the insurance or Medicaid officials would have paid a lot more money for other medical options with the same birth. I think women should have access to all the options available. All of them...epidurals, water birth, c-sections, midwives, all of them.
So if using, say, a midwife in a hospital or birth center lowers the c-section rates and the epidural rates, costing less money - why isn't it demanded by insurance companies and legislators in the same way that epidurals and c-sections are? What are your thoughts on this topic?
While I’m glad that elective c-sections are being called into question, at least as far as Medicaid coverage is concerned, I think ultimately insurance should not be allowed to limit anyone’s health care options. In the long run, encouraging natural birth practices in hospitals and making access to midwifes easier for everyone will reduce costs more effectively.
Instead of cutting coverage for expensive elective practices, maybe states should consider special grants or other funding for hospitals that have staff that is educated on and supportive of natural birth, or for keeping c-section rates below a certain percentage. Medicaid, as well as private insurance companies, can even be more pro-active in educating families about their birthing options, rather than trying to dictate which of those options are right for everyone.
How many times have we heard a woman say “if I only knew that when I was pregnant with my first one I would have…”? If states and insurance companies want to lower their costs by lowering c-section rates, and maybe epidural rates, more power to them. The most effective tool they have at their disposal is education.