New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer issued the following statement backing the pregnancy healthcare Bill.
New York State made history today when it voted to support the idea that no pregnant woman should ever have to wait to receive access to health insurance. This bill puts New York at the forefront of a national movement to promote prenatal health. If enacted, it would improve the lives of women and their families by allowing pregnant women to enroll in health insurance at any time, not just during the next open enrollment period.
As I laid out this past March in a report from my office, “Time to Deliver: Pregnancy and the Affordable Care Act,” there are enormous costs to not providing prenatal care to mothers and their children — costs that are ultimately borne by all of us when early, preventative care is not provided. No woman should ever have to make a choice between seeking pre-natal care or paying the rent because of their health insurance options. Today, New York has set a new standard for pregnant women and it’s a proud day for all of us.
I want to thank the Legislature for supporting this groundbreaking legislation and in particular Senators Liz Krueger, James Seward, and Kemp Hannon and Assemblymember Aravella Simotas for their tireless advocacy. I urge Governor Cuomo to sign this bill into law.
