Month: March 2023

By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger

Jeni Van Buer is a longtime early childhood educator, wife and mother, and a member of St. Thomas More Parish in Coralville who knows what moms and their young children need. A proposed bill to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months would fulfill an important need, she believes.

“Children develop and learn best when fully supported by the healthy adults in their lives,” Van Buer said. “The first three to five years of a child’s life are the most crucial for continued developmental success. If a child lives with a healthy and thriving parent, that will have a great and positive effect on the likelihood of that child’s overall health and developmental success. These are crucial years in the life of a child that we cannot afford to sacrifice.”

Medicaid covered 40.8% of births in Iowa in 2021 but new mothers lose their health coverage after 60 days postpartum, Common Good Iowa (CGI) reported. States have the option to choose whether eligibility for Medicaid coverage continues. Iowa is one of the states that has not yet extended Medicaid coverage beyond 60 days postpartum.

CGI, an advocacy group for Iowa families and communities, also reported that maternal mortality rates have doubled in the last 20 years. Among the women who died in the postpartum period, “about a quarter were eligible for Medicaid at the time of birth and their deaths occurred after their Medicaid postpartum coverage ended” (Iowa Maternal Mortality Review Committee, 2021).

Meanwhile, the Iowa Maternal Health Strategic Plan (https://tinyurl.com/yck9meyu) found that “Mental health conditions are the most common complication of childbirth impacting 1 in 5 individuals during pregnancy and the year following pregnancy. Untreated maternal mental health conditions can have (a) negative and long-term impact on (a) pregnant and postpartum (woman) and her infant. Mental health conditions are a leading and preventable cause of maternal mortality. Despite these negative consequences, depression and anxiety largely goes undiagnosed and untreated during pregnancy and postpartum periods.”

Among the strategic plan’s recommendation is to “Expand insurance coverage (Medicaid and private insurance) for pregnancy related services such as lactation services, doula services, and extending postpartum Medicaid coverage for 12 months.”

Extending Medicaid coverage would ensure that “New moms have continuity in their health care after pregnancy and medical concerns arising from pregnancy can be treated without high costs to the family,” CGI states (commongoodiowa.org).

Last year, the Iowa Legislature passed the Iowa MOMS (More Options for Maternal Supports), which provided $500,000 to help pro-life agencies support pregnant women and new moms with baby essentials and counseling. However, funding was not included for the extension of coverage for mothers who receive Medicaid, the Iowa Catholic Conference (ICC) reported.

This year, the Medicaid bill is back and appears to have bipartisan support. One lawmaker noted that fact in her recent e-newsletter:

“Bipartisan progress for new moms and babies: Two months after all Senate Democrats cosponsored Senate File 57 to increase postpartum Medicaid coverage for pregnant Iowans, we’re glad to see that House Republicans have introduced a similar bill, House Study Bill 226,” said State Sen. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport. “Senate Democrats hope to see more bipartisan support for this common-sense legislation that would better support pregnancies and newborns in Iowa.”

Tom Chapman, executive director of the ICC, the public policy voice of Iowa’s bishops, said he and his staff are “actively talking to House subcommittee members about the bill and have been discussing this with legislators (along with other groups) for more than a year.”

“This is legislation that all Iowans can support,” said Sheryl Schwager, director of Johnson County Right to Life. “These extended benefits would encourage mothers to choose life, improve their maternal health, and ultimately help their families flourish.”

Lisa Levy, a hospice nurse and president of Christ Child of the Quad Cities, said she has been involved in the pro-life movement since high school in the late 1970s. Her career and her volunteer work span life from its beginning to its end.

The proposed legislation “speaks to the dignity of motherhood and these beautiful new children and how we can help these families,” said Levy, also a member of Our Lady of the

River Parish in LeClaire. Moms need many resources. “They need education on early childhood development and help caring for their newborns and support as new mothers, especially when they have other small children.”

Christ Child Society supports the Women’s Choice Center in Bettendorf (a pro-life organization) and Head Start in Rock Island, Illinois, and provides layettes to new moms heading home from the hospital. Home is where the mothering and parenting begins and support in those early years is essential, Levy says. It’s all about “mind, body and spirit — not only for the mom, but for the baby.”

By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA — “Today is a celebration of our young Church and we are so glad you are here,” Mount Mercy University undergrad Clare Bechen told a group of 250 middle school students and parents assembled in the university’s gym for the Iowa Catholic Youth Conference.

The Diocese of Davenport and Arch­diocese of Dubuque organized the March 26 event, themed “You Matter, You Belong, You Are Loved,” to help youths in eastern Iowa recognize their value as children of God and as members of the Catholic Church.

Today, “we are hoping to share the greatest gifts our Church has to offer and you may be surprised to know that one of the greatest gifts is you,” said Bechen, a Bettendorf native who served as an event emcee with fellow undergrad Vanessa Milliman of Iowa City.

Mount Mercy President Todd Olson greeted participants and applauded the organizers for their “amazing work getting youth and young people here today. Staff from (both dioceses) have worked hard to make this big day come together. They thought a lot about what would help you most during the day.”

Nashville-based singer/song­writer Dana Catherine spoke to participants and led music worship. She admitted she used to base her self-worth on what other people thought of her, as well as her academic and athletic achievements. “I was obsessed with being the best at everything.”

In college, she could no longer rely on these anchors. She didn’t know anyone and worried she wouldn’t make friends because she didn’t feel comfortable engaging in the “cliché college party culture.” She was no longer a top student, but one of many top students. She struggled to open up to the few friends she did have because she was afraid of being judged negatively. “I vividly remember lying in my bed (and praying). There were tears streaming down my face… I was very confused. How could everything change so quickly? Most of the things I had relied on to feel like I was enough in life, the things I relied on to define myself and feel like I belonged and mattered, had been stripped away.”

Through time and prayer, she realized that temporary accomplishments did not define her worth. “If something can disappear in the matter of a month, that is not at the heart of what your identity is. When everything is said and done, we are children of God… that cannot be taken away.”

This acceptance allowed Catherine to thrive and become more vulnerable with others. “‘You Matter, You Belong, You Are Loved’ means we have strength in God,” no matter what. “That gives us strength to go through anything in life and to fulfill our mission” to love God, love others and share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Catherine reassured youths that God can work through anyone. “You have a specific personality, experiences, (areas) where you’ve fallen short, talents and interests. No person is better than another. God made you for a reason!”

Alecia Miller of St. Mary Parish in Iowa City said she appreciated Catherine’s willingness to share personal testimony. “Getting to know her personally helped me understand (her message) more.”

“It was cool that she shared her story; I never heard a story from real life like that,” said Amaya Cervantes of St. Mary Parish in Pella. Harper Guess, also from Pella, added, “Everything can change so fast, but it’s okay” as long as you have God.

After the opening talk, youths participated in breakout sessions focused on caring for creation, self-acceptance and finding God in popular music. Faith formation directors asked youths to share their thoughts and concerns about the Church. The anonymous responses were to be shared later with Archbishop Michael Jackels. Other activities included writing prayer requests, making inspirational message cards, playing games and chatting with Catherine. After lunch, she shared more about her faith journey.

Bishop Thomas Zinkula offered a final talk, explaining the meaning and significance of his vestments, pectoral cross, zucchetto, miter, ring and crosier. He shared his connection to the archdiocese as a Mount Vernon native and a parish priest. Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids, not far from the

Mount Mercy campus, was his birthplace.

Bishop Zinkula closed the conference presiding at Mass. “God loves us unconditionally and sacrificially,” he said during the homily. “We matter to God! He has blessed us with gifts, friends, family, nature, food, clothing, housing, school and recreation, but the best gift of all is our faith.” We show our love for God by loving others and sharing our time, blessings, gifts and talents. “We need to take Christ into the world, be Christ for others and see Christ in others,” he said. “That’s what we’re called to do.”

Liam Bellich of Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Parish in Clinton said he enjoyed seeing Bishop Zinkula at the conference. Chloe Gardenier of St. Mary Parish in Solon left with the confidence of knowing “God always loves us.”

When your pre-teen asks a tough question
During the breakout sessions, parents hung out in the “parent lounge” and listened to a presentation from Marianne Agnoli, marriage and family life coordinator for the Davenport Diocese. She offered guidance on how to respond to their children’s questions on topics such as sex, pornography, abortion and LGBTQ issues. “Sometimes we avoid talking about it,” she said. “It’s important for them to know that they can talk to you about anything.” How parents respond will set the tone for future interactions. She offered eight steps for responding to tough questions:
• Prepare ahead of time for potential questions.
• Try not to freak out.
• Reassure your child of your unconditional love.
• Listen for understanding with “what” questions.
• Ask “why” questions — but don’t interrogate.
• Respectfully share your perspective.
• Provide access to additional support.
• Keep the door open to further conversations.

The Catholic Messenger

House File 349, which would provide “earned time” credits for the completion of activities such as education, vocational training and work for individuals on probation passed in the Iowa House

on a vote of 93-1 last week. The bill, which has the support of the Iowa Catholic Conference, the public policy voice for Iowa’s bishops, needs to get through the Senate Judiciary Committee before Friday, ICC Executive Director Tom Chapman said.

A House subcommittee has passed Senate File 326, a bill that makes it possible for pharmacists to provide hormonal contraceptives without a prescription. While opposing the provision, “we are also encouraging an amendment for safety reasons to make sure there is a physician visit somewhere along the line for women receiving the drugs,” Chapman said.

The ICC opposes House Study Bill 227, which would legalize online and app gambling with real money and is pleased to see that the bill has returned to the Ways and Means Committee without recommendation. The ICC believes legalizing online and app gambling with real money would damage a great number of families due to an easier path to a gambling addiction.

“Disappointingly,” Chapman said, ICC staff has heard it is not likely that Senate File 297 will be debated this year. The bill would protect health care providers’ ability to refuse to perform a medical treatment, if the provider regards the treatment as being harmful to a patient. 

Senate File 494, which requires the state to establish a new asset test and income/identity verification system for public benefits, passed the Senate by a vote of 34-16. One item of concern is the bill’s maximum of 10 days to respond to the state about an income discrepancy that disqualifies a person, Chapman said. The House version, House File 613, doesn’t include the 10-day limit.

The creation of a new verification system is not necessarily problematic. Only those who qualify should receive benefits, the ICC believes. “But we question why SF 494 is necessary. There are fewer people on food stamps in Iowa today than before the pandemic. The error rate for benefits being overpaid or underpaid in Iowa has improved. The Legislative Services Agency estimates that 1% of recipients will lose benefits due to the bill. They also project it will take 230 HHS staff to administer the new process.”

Gov. Kim Reynolds’ bill on parents’ rights in education, SF 496, passed in the Senate by a vote of 34-16. It includes a prohibition on instruction regarding gender identity in grades K-6 and requires a school to notify parents about a child’s desire to change their gender identity. The bill also includes language supporting parents’ rights to make decisions affecting their minor child related to medical care, moral upbringing, religious upbringing, residence, education and extracurricular activities. The governor signed Senate File 538, which prohibits “gender transition” treatments for minors. The ICC supported the bill.

In other news, the 10th annual celebration of Religious Freedom Day in Iowa includes a symposium on Thursday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be held at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates in Des Moines. The event is free of charge. The Iowa March for Life will take place at the State Capitol in the early afternoon of June 24. More details to come.

In national news, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine issued a statement providing moral criteria to Catholic health care institutions for discerning which medical interventions promote the authentic good of the human person. 

In its statement, the doctrine committee acknowledges that technology offers chemical, surgical, and genetic interventions for the functioning of the human body, as well as for modifying its appearance. However, the committee says interventions for gender dysphoria “do not respect the fundamental order of the human person as an intrinsic unity of body and soul, with a body that is sexually differentiated,” and the committee states that Catholic health care services must not perform them (gender dysphoria interventions). The statement adds, “particular care should be taken to protect children and adolescents, who are still maturing and who are not capable of providing informed consent.” 

Visit the ICC website at iowacatholicconference.org for updates, action alerts and more information.