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Ruiz Celebrates Signing of Legislation to Prohibit Coverage of Certain Early Elective Deliveries

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Trenton – Senate President Pro Tempore Senator M. Teresa Ruiz issued the following statement on the signing of legislation she sponsored which will prohibit Medicaid, State Health Benefits and School Employee Health Benefits from covering certain non-medically indicated early elective deliveries:

“I am grateful the Governor took action on this legislation and look forward to continuing our efforts to improve our support to new mothers and their children. Our state’s maternal mortality rate is one of the worst in the country and the complications we see are largely preventable. It is crucial that we focus on the wellbeing of the child from prenatal care to delivery and beyond. Early deliveries present health risks for both mothers and their newborns which is why it is important they are only performed when it is absolutely necessary. Hospitals should not be inducing labor or preforming C-sections simply because the mother requests it, or because it is convenient for the provider or the facility. We must do everything in our wherewithal to protect New Jersey families.”