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Cedar Valley Voices: Will Iowa lose OB/GYNs for banning abortion?
by Jim Glasson, Cedar Valley Voices · Op-Ed · April 10, 2024
We are getting our traditional March heavy snow as I write this. The early blooms have bowed down to the big flakes on the East wind. I suppose that I-80 will reflect a lot of things. Surprises for us all!
And... a good possibility from our Iowa Legislature! —Medicaid as of next year might cover medical expenses for postpartum women (and their kids!) for 12 months, instead of only 60 days as now. However, it’s a very mixed bag: according to the Fiscal Services Division of the Iowa Legislative Services Agency (Legislative Services Agency (iowa.gov), there will be additionally imposed restrictions on how much income these women can make. That will be reduced from (currently) 375 % of the FPL (Federal Poverty Level) to 215% FPL. This is although federal funds under Medicaid will pay for 63% of the cost of this program. We have a surplus of $1.8 billion in state funds hoarded by our Golden Dome folks. Iowa, we can do better. The money is there.
Here’s another example: 61% of Iowa counties no longer offer a hospital where babies can be delivered. A report finds more than half of rural Iowa hospitals no longer deliver babies (Iowa Public Radio). If our Iowa Supreme Court decides in favor of the so called “life begins at conception” legislation passed here, there will be an exodus of OB/GYNs (especially high risk maternal/fetal medicine providers) from our state.
There is a report that notes women living states where abortion is not legal have a 3 times higher risk of dying during pregnancy and childbirth. GEPI-State-of-Repro-Health-Report-US.pdf (thegepi.org).
Let’s look at Idaho as an example, where this has been the law for some time now. A new report shows a ‘dramatic exodus’ of Idaho OB/GYNs since repeal of Roe v. Wade (Boise State Public Radio). Idaho has lost 22% of its OB/GYNs ... more than 1 in 5. Idaho is now in the 10th percentile of maternal pregnancy outcomes. In other words, 90% of the US has better pregnancy outcomes than Idaho.
Iowa, right now, is ranked 12th nationwide — something to be proud of (Maternal Mortality Rate by State 2024 (worldpopulationreview.com).
Do we really want to make our state less attractive to women and young families? If we truly care about the reproductive health of women — and their infants after birth, there are resources available right now in our state coffers.
And let’s pray that women’s reproductive rights in Iowa are not jeopardized.
Jim Glasson lives in West Branch. The Cedar Valley Voices seeks to promote Democratic and progressive ideas of the residents who live in the Cedar County area.
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