[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 20 (Monday, May 20, 1996)]
[Pages 843-844]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

May 11, 1996

    Good morning. Tomorrow millions of Americans will honor our mothers 
with hugs and bouquets and visits for dinner. Others of us will simply 
offer up a silent prayer for the mother who still lives in our heart but 
who has left this Earth. I miss my own mother very much, especially on 
Mother's Day. I can't give her roses tomorrow, but with your help we can 
honor all mothers by giving mothers-to-be something far more important, 
the assurance that when they bring a baby into this world, they will not 
be rushed out of the hospital until they and their health care provider 
decide it is medically safe for both mother and child.
    Today I want to discuss legislation that will guarantee mothers the 
quality care they need when they've had a baby.
    In 1970, the average length of stay for an uncomplicated hospital 
delivery was 4 days. By 1992, the average had declined to 2 days. Now a 
large and growing number of insurance companies are refusing to pay for 
anything more than a 24-hour stay, except in the most extreme 
circumstances, and some have recommended releasing women as early as 8 
hours after delivery.
    This has gone from being an economical trend to a dangerous one, one 
that carries with it the potential for serious health consequences. 
Early release of infants can result in numerous problems, including 
feeding problems, severe dehydration, brain damage, and stroke. In 
addition, many mothers are not physically capable of providing for a 
newborn's needs 24 hours after giving birth. Often they're exhausted, in 
pain, and faced with an overwhelming set of new responsibilities. Many 
first-time mothers also need more than 24 hours in the hospital to 
receive instruction in basic infant care and breast feeding. And 
sometimes an early discharge can be fatal.
    Michelle Bauman testified before a Senate committee that she was 
told to go home 28 hours after her daughter was born. Her baby died 
within one day of going home. If she had been allowed a 48-hour stay, 
she would have been in the hospital when her daughter's symptoms 
appeared. As she so tragically put it, another 24 hours, and her baby's 
symptoms would have surfaced ``so that we could have planned a 
christening, not a funeral.''
    Susan Jones and her baby son were discharged after about 24 hours. 
It turns out he had a heart defect which was not noticed by the hospital 
or the home health nurse who came to visit on the third day. The baby 
died. Susan and an independent group of pediatric cardiologists believe 
the problem would have

[[Page 844]]

been noticed in the hospital by the second or third day.
    As a nation that values the health of women and children, we must 
not turn our backs on this problem. There is an emerging national 
consensus that we must put a stop to these so-called ``drive-through'' 
deliveries. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and 
the American Academy of Pediatrics have issued guidelines recommending a 
minimum stay of 48 hours following most normal deliveries, and 96 hours 
following most cesarean sections. Sixteen States have enacted laws to 
guarantee that level of coverage and 25 more are considering such a 
move.
    A growing number of hospitals have taken it upon themselves to 
provide the second day of coverage free. And one group of insurers, Blue 
Cross and Blue Shield Plans of Pennsylvania, has responded to public 
concerns by voluntarily offering 48-hour minimum coverage. I believe 
every insurance company should step up to this problem and do what these 
insurers in Pennsylvania have done.
    But in the absence of coverage for all women in all States, we have 
a responsibility to take action in Washington. Already, a Senate bill 
and separate House bills have been introduced, most with bipartisan 
support, to guarantee 48-hour post-partum hospital stays for mothers and 
their children.
    I urge Members of Congress to move legislation forward as soon as 
possible that makes this protection for mothers and their children the 
law of the land. No insurance company should be free to make the final 
judgment about what is medically best for newborns and their mothers. 
That decision should be left up to doctors, nurses, and mothers 
themselves. Saving the life and health of mothers and newborns is more 
important than saving a few dollars.
    America's mothers hold a special place in our hearts. They provide 
the lessons and care that enable all of our children to embrace the 
opportunities of this great land. They deliver the precious gift of 
life. Let's give them a Mother's Day gift they richly deserve. Let's 
guarantee them 48-hour hospital stays to protect their health and the 
health of their newborn babies. Mothers sacrifice so much for us. It's 
the least we can do for them.
    Happy Mother's Day, and thanks for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 5 p.m. on May 10 at Pennsylvania State 
University in State College for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on May 11. A 
portion of this address could not be verified because the tape was 
incomplete.