Political Quotes

“the bill before us, the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act of 1996, does one very simple thing. I refer to it as a ``safe haven.'' It guarantees a safe haven for care of mothers and their newborn infants during the immediate postdelivery period. That period of time is 48 hours after delivery, that postdelivery period. I have been very aware of the potential for having Government get too involved, but it does this without excessive interference by the Government in the health care system. As background, maternity care today--many people don't know this--is the most frequent reason for hospitalization today. Hospital stays of 24 hours or less have indeed become the norm in many parts of the country for those routine, uncomplicated vaginal deliveries. Sometimes hospitalizations are as short as 12 hours and even 6 hours. However, adopting this approach of a 6-hour discharge, or even a 12-hour discharge, to the general population, and not being able to predict every time which child will have a ventricular arterial contraction or a defect, it has not proven to be uniformly successful. This bill ensures appropriate coverage. Let me make it clear. It does not mean 48 hours for everybody in the hospital. People can still be discharged at 12 hours or 24 hours. What this bill says is that the insurance company does not decide when you are discharged, but it is you, the mother, in consultation with the physician.”