Supporters of midwives! We have an amazing opportunity to advance the
availability of midwives not only in our state, but nationally.
Holly Richardson has been asked by the National Association of Certified
Professional Midwives (NACPM) to go to Washington, DC this Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday to lobby Senator Hatch and Congressman Matheson to get Certified
Professional Midwives (CPMs) on the national Medicaid provider list. These two
leaders hold important positions on the committees that will make the decision
to add CPMs or not, and therefore we as Utahns can play a particularly
influential role on this issue.
What does this mean?
If Holly and the NACPM are successful and CPMs are added to the national
Medicaid provider list, CPMs would become eligible Medicaid providers in all
states, and all states would have to reimburse CPMs for their services under
Medicaid. This would make midwives and out-of-hospital birth much more
accessible to women who currently can't afford it, or who won't even look at it
because they feel forced by Medicaid to "go hospital." Midwives would be free
to choose whether of not to participate in Medicaid, of course, but at least
this way it would be a choice instead of an impossibility.
If President Obama is successful in implementing some form of national/universal
health care, the national Medicaid provider list will likely become the de facto
list of providers under that plan also. Anyone not on that list will have great
difficulty playing in the health care game. Whether you love the idea of
national health care or hate it, it's passage might be the death knell of
midwifery if midwives aren't included on the list of eligible providers.
If CPMs are included in the national Medicaid provider list, other private
insurers are more likely to reimburse for services. They don't have to, but it
does become more likely.
Even if the effort is unsuccessful in securing CPMs a spot on the provider list,
there is still great benefit to sending Holly on this mission. At the very
least, she can raise the awareness of our senator and congressman to the issue
of midwifery, and pave the way for lobbying on any midwifery issues that may
come up in the future.
Why send Holly?
Holly is in a unique position to succeed in this mission. Since she first
started working on legislation here in Utah she has been working her way into
other Utah politics and been unbelievably successful. She has run successful
campaigns, joined organizations, started a very influential blog, become a
recognized player statewide. She now has the kind of clout to ask for a meeting
and GET HEARD. We can't guarantee the senator and congressman will do what
she's asking, or that the committees they sit on will listen to them after she's
convinced them, but she has a better shot than anyone at making it happen.
This is an amazing opportunity. We need to send her, but she doesn't have the
money. The NACPM that has asked her to do this doesn't have the money to send
her. We estimate that it will take $1150. That's a doable amount if we all
share! Can we do it? Can we raise that in three days? I believe we can.
Here is what we need:
1. Send a check TODAY to Holly Richardson, 882 W 2800 N, Pleasant Grove, UT
84062.
We would love a large check, of course. But we'd love small checks, too. We
know times are difficult, so if $5 is all you can give, we'll accept it with
gratitude. It will make a difference!
Even better, WE HAVE AN ANONYMOUS DONOR who is willing to MATCH all donations up
to $500. This will double your contribution! $5 will become $10, $100 will
become $200. It won't take much to reach our goal if you'll all help.
Obviously, we aren't going to have enough time if everyone mails checks today to
get the money in Holly's account before she leaves. But she's willing to put
everything on her credit cards as long as she knows the money is coming to pay
the expenses off afterwards. So,
2. Post either to the list or to me privately at suzanne@betterbirth.com and
let me know how much you are sending.
This way we'll know whether we'll have enough to send her or not. If we can't
get enough commitments by Wednesday June 17 for her to feel comfortable that the
money will be there, she won't go and the money will be returned. DON'T LET
THAT HAPPEN! This is a huge opportunity, way too important to waste. I'll be
posting as the commitments come in so you can see how we're doing.
If we get more than the amount needed to finance this trip, we will turn the
extra back over to Utah Friends Of Midwives for the further advancement of
midwifery in the state.
Come on! We can do this. Ask everyone you know who supports midwifery to send
what they can. Send what you can. Make a difference. Please, please, please,
send a check right now. If we fail to act, the consequences could be terrible,
and the opportunity if we succeed is amazing. I believe in you guys.
Suzanne Smith, CPM LDEM
Holly Richardson has been asked by the National Association of Certified
Professional Midwives (NACPM) to go to Washington, DC this Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday to lobby Senator Hatch and Congressman Matheson to get Certified
Professional Midwives (CPMs) on the national Medicaid provider list. These two
leaders hold important positions on the committees that will make the decision
to add CPMs or not, and therefore we as Utahns can play a particularly
influential role on this issue.
What does this mean?
If Holly and the NACPM are successful and CPMs are added to the national
Medicaid provider list, CPMs would become eligible Medicaid providers in all
states, and all states would have to reimburse CPMs for their services under
Medicaid. This would make midwives and out-of-hospital birth much more
accessible to women who currently can't afford it, or who won't even look at it
because they feel forced by Medicaid to "go hospital." Midwives would be free
to choose whether of not to participate in Medicaid, of course, but at least
this way it would be a choice instead of an impossibility.
If President Obama is successful in implementing some form of national/universal
health care, the national Medicaid provider list will likely become the de facto
list of providers under that plan also. Anyone not on that list will have great
difficulty playing in the health care game. Whether you love the idea of
national health care or hate it, it's passage might be the death knell of
midwifery if midwives aren't included on the list of eligible providers.
If CPMs are included in the national Medicaid provider list, other private
insurers are more likely to reimburse for services. They don't have to, but it
does become more likely.
Even if the effort is unsuccessful in securing CPMs a spot on the provider list,
there is still great benefit to sending Holly on this mission. At the very
least, she can raise the awareness of our senator and congressman to the issue
of midwifery, and pave the way for lobbying on any midwifery issues that may
come up in the future.
Why send Holly?
Holly is in a unique position to succeed in this mission. Since she first
started working on legislation here in Utah she has been working her way into
other Utah politics and been unbelievably successful. She has run successful
campaigns, joined organizations, started a very influential blog, become a
recognized player statewide. She now has the kind of clout to ask for a meeting
and GET HEARD. We can't guarantee the senator and congressman will do what
she's asking, or that the committees they sit on will listen to them after she's
convinced them, but she has a better shot than anyone at making it happen.
This is an amazing opportunity. We need to send her, but she doesn't have the
money. The NACPM that has asked her to do this doesn't have the money to send
her. We estimate that it will take $1150. That's a doable amount if we all
share! Can we do it? Can we raise that in three days? I believe we can.
Here is what we need:
1. Send a check TODAY to Holly Richardson, 882 W 2800 N, Pleasant Grove, UT
84062.
We would love a large check, of course. But we'd love small checks, too. We
know times are difficult, so if $5 is all you can give, we'll accept it with
gratitude. It will make a difference!
Even better, WE HAVE AN ANONYMOUS DONOR who is willing to MATCH all donations up
to $500. This will double your contribution! $5 will become $10, $100 will
become $200. It won't take much to reach our goal if you'll all help.
Obviously, we aren't going to have enough time if everyone mails checks today to
get the money in Holly's account before she leaves. But she's willing to put
everything on her credit cards as long as she knows the money is coming to pay
the expenses off afterwards. So,
2. Post either to the list or to me privately at suzanne@betterbirth.com and
let me know how much you are sending.
This way we'll know whether we'll have enough to send her or not. If we can't
get enough commitments by Wednesday June 17 for her to feel comfortable that the
money will be there, she won't go and the money will be returned. DON'T LET
THAT HAPPEN! This is a huge opportunity, way too important to waste. I'll be
posting as the commitments come in so you can see how we're doing.
If we get more than the amount needed to finance this trip, we will turn the
extra back over to Utah Friends Of Midwives for the further advancement of
midwifery in the state.
Come on! We can do this. Ask everyone you know who supports midwifery to send
what they can. Send what you can. Make a difference. Please, please, please,
send a check right now. If we fail to act, the consequences could be terrible,
and the opportunity if we succeed is amazing. I believe in you guys.
Suzanne Smith, CPM LDEM
PS - If you were prefer to donate through Paypal - click on the link to the left...
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