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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 4, 2016 01:47 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Tarah Toohil |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Cosponsorship Memo- Restore Funding for OB and Neonatal Services through Medical Assistance |
| In the near future I will be introducing legislation that will restore critical funding for Obstetric and Neonatal Services through the Medical Assistance program, which was eliminated as a part of Governor Wolf’s line-item veto of House Bill 1460 (Act10A of 2015). Prior to the governor’s veto, House Bill 1460 appropriated $3.7 million to Obstetric and Neonatal Services. This appropriation provides funding to qualifying hospitals that offer obstetric and neonatal health care services to ensure access to quality care for low-income pregnant women and newborns. The total funding lost for these services, as a result of the governor’s veto, actually totals $13.93 million -- $3.68 million in state funds; $3 million in Hospital Assessment funds; and $7.25 million in federal funds. It is of the utmost importance to fund a service which protects expecting mothers and newborn babies, some of whom may be faced with critical medical conditions. Women and children should not be denied proper medical care due to the Commonwealth’s current budgetary standoff, and funding for this program should not be used as leverage in related budget debates. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation to restore funding to provide an essential health care service to women and children on medical assistance. |
Introduced as HB1848