Vigil Honors Five Dead Infants

Vigil Honors Five Dead Infants

By Martha Stoddard

WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
Metro/Region

LINCOLN — Candle flames flickered in the wind Tuesday at a vigil for five babies who have died since Nebraska cut off Medicaid prenatal care for more than 1,500 women.

A small group gathered on the steps of the State Capitol to call attention to the consequences of the policy change.

“Standing witness is important,” said Rev. Neal Jose Wilkinson, a priest who works with Omaha’s Hispanic community.

Health officials have told lawmakers that five infants — four stillborn in Columbus and one born premature in Omaha — died since the March 1 change.

A lack of prenatal care is believed to have contributed to at least some of the deaths.

Shirley Mora James, with the Equality Nebraska Coalition, said there likely are more deaths that have not been reported because women did not seek care from a public clinic.

Jim Cunningham, a lobbyist for the Nebraska Catholic Conference, said the new policy punishes unborn children for their mothers’ status.

Nebraska officials cut off government-funded prenatal care for women who had received the care based on the Medicaid eligibility of their unborn children.

About 1,600 women lost coverage because of the change, of whom about 840 were illegal immigrants. An unknown number could not get coverage in the months since.

Attempts to reinstate coverage failed this year in the face of staunch opposition from Gov. Dave Heineman and others, who objected to providing prenatal care to illegal immigrants.

Three state lawmakers have said they plan to try again in the 2011 Legislature.