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News Release

HHS APPROVES MINNESOTA PLAN TO EXPAND PRENATAL CARE

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today approved a request by Minnesota to expand health coverage to pregnant women and their unborn children through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The state expects to enroll more than 3,700 under the new plan.

"Prenatal care is crucial to the health of both mother and child, and this change will allow Minnesota to offer prenatal care to thousands of additional pregnant mothers and their unborn children," Secretary Thompson said. "Vital services during pregnancy can be a life-long determinant of health and we should do everything possible to make this care available to everyone."

Minnesota is the fourth state to take advantage of the new HHS regulation allowing states to provide prenatal services to additional pregnant women and their unborn children under SCHIP. Illinois, Michigan and Rhode Island are the other three states to offer this coverage.

Under the new regulation, states can offer prenatal care to pregnant women and their unborn children who would not otherwise be eligible as a state plan option under the SCHIP program. This allows states to quickly expand coverage of prenatal care to pregnant women and their unborn children, who otherwise would be eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP coverage only after they are born. Low-income pregnant women also may be eligible to receive prenatal services through the Medicaid program.

Under its new plan, Minnesota is making this coverage available to those with family incomes up to and including 275 percent of the federal poverty level and who are otherwise not eligible for Medicaid. The federal poverty level is $8,980 for an individual. Enrollees will receive the standard Medicaid benefit package that includes prenatal care for the mother and her unborn child. Once born, the child will be evaluated for SCHIP or Medicaid eligibility and enrolled in the appropriate program.

SCHIP was enacted with bipartisan support in 1997 with a total 10-year funding authorized at $40 billion. Although all states designed programs that best met their needs, substantial portions of available funds are still unused.

"President Bush and I are committed to doing everything we can to encourage states to use all their SCHIP funds to expand health coverage to low-income children and pregnant mothers in their states who otherwise might remain uninsured," Secretary Thompson said.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: August 6, 2003