NEWBORN Act Included In Health Care Reform Bill

Press Release

Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) issued the following statement after House Democrats unveiled health care reform legislation that includes his proposal to decrease the nation's infant mortality rate.

Congressman Cohen is the author of the NEWBORN Act, which would establish 15 pilot programs across the country aimed at lowering the rate of infant mortality to promote research, education interventions, and access to prenatal care. The full text of the bill was included as Section 2532 of H.R. 3692, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

"The health insurance reform bill unveiled today is a step-in-the-right direction to ensure access to comprehensive, quality and affordable health care and insurance for all those who need it, including the 17 percent of Ninth District residents with no health insurance at all.

"I'm particularly pleased that the bill includes my infant mortality proposal, the NEWBORN Act. We must do more to make sure that women have the resources they need to deliver healthy babies -- and that starts by improving access to health clinics and recruiting the best and brightest medical students to be inner city doctors. At the same time, we need a much more expanded outreach, education and research program, and the NEWBORN Act will lay the foundation for that effort."

Source