Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Texas doctors hope policy proposals put forth now can help stop human trafficking and protect women having a baby by extending their health insurance coverage.
The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates policymaking body will take up these and other resolutions this weekend and in the coming week during the national medical associations annual meeting in Chicago.
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is slavery." Beginning with that blunt
assessment the 34-member Texas Delegation to the AMA House will ask the body
to adopt Resolution 023 to help fight human trafficking starting with placing
information for victims and others where they can see it in physicians exam
rooms.
Physicians have a unique and critical role to play in preventing human trafficking and identifying and treating its victims" the policy proposal reads. Victims and survivors of human trafficking may be seen at local clinics emergency departments or other medical settings and the health care teams actions at that moment can make a lifesaving difference."
Texas Delegation doctors want clinical medical settings to display posters providing information about reporting human trafficking and providing assistance to victims. The resolution also calls for posting of downloadable materials and the National Human Trafficking Hotline number (888 373-7888) to AMAs website. The doctors also call for policy urging the federal government to amend laws to advocate for the broad posting of the National Human Trafficking Hotline number in clinics and other medical settings."
The goal is to stop trafficking and get victims help. Victims sometimes present in emergency departments or doctors offices for care and generally raising awareness could prove beneficial. Human trafficking involves controlling people to force them to work or perform sex acts. Human trafficking is reported in every state with nearly 19000 cases being reported since 2007 in just five states including Texas. The National Human Trafficking Hotline reported more than 5000 cases nationwide in the first half of 2018. More might go unreported.
A form of slavery human trafficking heavily impacts Texas and other border states especially and we as physicians need the resources to fully reach out and care for these victims" said David N. Henkes MD who chairs the Texas Delegation to the AMA.
The Lubbock County Medical Society spearheaded efforts to help physicians raise awareness and combat the problem two years ago.
Maternal Health
Another of the dozen resolutions the Texas Delegation will
submit would seek to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum women. The Texans
are endorsing the resolution No. 221 originally submitted by the American
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Medicaid coverage currently ends 60
days after a woman delivers her baby and the extension would cover her for 12
months postpartum.
Dr. Henkes said the resolution aims to reduce deaths and chronic illnesses for women after delivering their babies. The doctors hope to accomplish this through enactment of state and federal legislation or a Medicaid waiver.
Studies show a significant number of catastrophic illnesses can occur due to pregnancy up to 12 months after childbirth. If this resolution passes physicians feel a number of maternal and perinatal deaths can be prevented" he said.
The resolution refers to the postpartum period as simultaneously a time of vulnerability and maternal health risk and a transition period with often unmet maternal health needs." More than 60 of maternal deaths are preventable the resolution says citing several reports. The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force recommended extending Medicaid coverage to 12 months postpartum to ensure that medical and behavioral health conditions can be managed and treated before becoming progressively severe." The task forces 2016 report says nearly 60 of women who died postpartum died between six weeks and 52 weeks after delivery. The deaths often are linked to cardiovascular disease drug overdose and suicide.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation representing nearly 53000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMAs key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.
