Because of the ACA? St. Paul clinic helped mothers with nowhere to turn
Laurel O’Rourke was five months pregnant and had steeled herself for rejection when she walked into the Seton Prenatal Clinic on University Avenue in St. Paul. O’Rourke, then 19 years old and single, had been turned away three times by health clinics because of problems with her insurance. The denials had left her feeling angry, depressed and worried about her baby’s health.
But her fears soon subsided. At the Seton clinic, she encountered a table piled high with crocheted baby hats and blankets and posters extolling the benefits of breast-feeding. A veteran midwife gave her advice on nutrition and a voucher for food, then scheduled an ultrasound — without even asking about insurance.
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But future mothers will never share O’Rourke’s experience. The Seton Prenatal Clinic, which for nearly a century helped poor and uninsured women bring healthy babies into the world, has stopped accepting patients and will close its doors in early August. Like many charitable clinics across the nation, Seton has seen a sharp drop in patient admissions since the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, which has dramatically reduced the number of uninsured.
The Seton clinic, which is owned by Catholic Charities, is at least the second charitable clinic in the Twin Cities to close since 2014, while dozens more have closed nationally. The trend worries health officials and advocates for the poor, who insist that while more people have health insurance today, clinics such as Seton still provided a vital safety net to poor families, particularly undocumented immigrants not eligible for Medicaid.
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When uninsured mothers needed medication, nurses at Seton would give them vouchers to use at nearby pharmacies. If mothers lacked transportation to appointments, the clinic would send taxis to pick them up at home. Each pregnant mother was assigned a social worker, who would assist her with insurance, housing and food assistance. Women who were isolated and trapped in abusive relationships would get specialized counseling and emergency shelter.
More..
http://www.startribune.com/after-a-century-a-st-paul-clinic-that-helped-thousands-of-poor-pregnant-women-to-shut-its-doors/386382501/
Sad..
