Editorials, Opinion Piece Tout Maternity Coverage Measures

A Sacramento Bee editorial argues that "Gov. Jerry Brown (D) should sign Senate Bill 222 and Assembly Bill 210, which would require that health plans sold in the individual and small group markets cover maternity care starting in July 2012." A Los Angeles Times editorial adds that "the bills would raise" costs "in the short term, [but] providing prenatal care to more women will reduce the incidence of premature births, which cost Californians an estimated $2 billion each year." Meanwhile, Mary Wiberg -- executive director of the California Commission on the Status of Women -- writes in a Capitol Weekly opinion piece that SB 222 and SB 299, its companion legislation, would "balance the scales for California women" and help ensure "the health of not only our future Californians, but the future of the state of California itself."

• "Editorial: Brown Should Shut a Nasty Little Loophole" (Sacramento Bee, 10/4).
• "Covering Maternity Care in California" (Los Angeles Times, 10/4).
• "Opinion: Investing in the Future -- Before It's Born" (Wiberg, Capitol Weekly, 10/3).