BIRTH IS NOT AN ILLNESS: but Homebirth needs to be included in Medicare

The Networking gets a bit circuitous at times: from Justine to Jane to Pip to Denis and then Me. Well, Networkers - as I have said before. You know what to do. Cut+Paste and Don't forget the stamp.

Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 2:11 PM
Subject: Fwd: Homebirth Action Plan - NEED TO GET AS MANY SUBMISSIONS TO SEN INQUIRY AS POSS

With love and hope
Pip xxx

Begin forwarded message:

Subject: Fwd: Homebirth Action Plan - NEED TO GET AS MANY SUBMISSIONS TO SEN INQUIRY AS POSS

Dear Everyone,
You may have already received this, if not please see below an email from Justine Caines with the Homebirth Australia action plan for the 'keeping private homebirth alive' and details re a submission that YOU must do! PLEASE!!!
And please send this far and wide.
Best wishes and love,
Jane
xxx
Jane Hardwicke Collings
Independent Midwife
Teacher of the Women's Mysteries
The School of Shamanic Midwifery

www.moonsong.com.au
www.placentalremedy.com
http://schoolofshamanicmidwifery.blogspot.com/
http://janehardwickecollings-moonsong.blogspot.com/



Begin forwarded message:

From: Justine Caines
Date: 4 July 2009 11:26:03 PM
Subject: Homebirth Action Plan - NEED TO GET AS MANY SUBMISSIONS TO SEN INQUIRY AS POSS

Dear Friends of Homebirth

Here is the Homebirth Australia Action Plan at LONG last. PLEASE FORWARD FAR AND WIDE. I will forward to as many lists as I can. It will also be up on the Homebirth Australia Website.

It is brief but should contain relevant facts and the action plan for the next couple of months.

OF PARTICULAR NOTE: The Senate Inquiry re Medicare for Midwives Legislation. The Medicare and related legislation has been sent off to a committee to receive submissions. This is your chance to SAY VERY CLEARLY THAT HOMEBIRTH MUST BE INCLUDED.

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/clac_ctte/health_leg_midwives_nurse_practitioners_09/index.htm

Submissions Close 20 July and we need to make this submission ALL ABOUT HOMEBIRTH.

A one pager from a woman is enough. They can be emailed to

community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au

We got 900 submissions to the Maternity Services Review, let’s beat it this time!!

In solidarity

Justine

Justine Caines
Secretary
Homebirth Australia Inc
PO Box 625 SCONE NSW 2337
W:
E: info@homebirthaustralia.org
Ph: (02) 65453612
Mob: 0408210273

~~~~~~~~~

KEEP PRIVATE HOMEBIRTH ALIVE – ACTION PLAN

ALL Women: Choice and a Voice

The intersection of the Commonwealth legislation to regulate and accredit all health professionals and that of Medicare access for Midwives will eliminate the ability for a woman to contract a private registered midwife providing homebirth. This is due to an inability to secure professional indemnity insurance and an unwillingness by Minister Roxon to provide homebirth midwives with the same protection as all other health professionals.

Medical Indemnity is clearly a FEDERAL issue. Since 2001 approx $1billion of taxpayer funds has supported medical indemnity premiums. Homebirth midwives have consistently been denied premium support. Women who choose homebirth are the only health consumers without the protection of indemnity insurance.

As a developed country Australia is out of step with other nations such as Canada, UK, New Zealand and The Netherlands, which offer public funded homebirth. By making homebirth unlawful Australia is on par with a state of the U.S like Alabama where capital punishment still exists.

Homebirth Australia is demanding indemnity support for homebirth midwives and the protection of insurance to consumers. It has been made clear in recent consultations regarding national registration that policy makers will no longer accept homebirth midwives practicing without indemnity insurance.

The Maternity Services Review Report, (forerunner to the Minister announcing Medicare for Midwives) stated

In recognising that, at the current time in Australia, homebirthing is a sensitive and controversial issue, the Review Team has formed the view that the relationship between maternity health care professionals is not such as to support homebirth as a mainstream Commonwealth-funded option (at least in the short term). The Review also considers that moving prematurely to a mainstream private model of care incorporating homebirthing risks

polarising the professions rather than allowing the expansion of collaborative approaches to improving choice and services for Australian women and their babies.

The Department of Health and Ageing and Minister Roxon’s office has tried to ‘hand‐ball’ homebirth to state governments to provide hospital in the home type programs. By offering Medicare funding for Midwives, the states have little incentive to offer homebirth services. The states that currently provide state funded homebirth services only do so within tight geographic locations to a limited number of women. They also operate under restrictive protocols, which are not necessarily based on evidence but what is palatable to controlling interests. This cannot be the only option for homebirth in Australia.

The rights of women to make choices about their health care are being seriously eroded. Homebirth Australia is seeking advice regarding human rights covenants that Australia are a signatory to, including CEDAW and the United Nations Statement on the Rights of Women (1995) that states

"Women have the right to have control over,

and decide freely and responsibly

on all matters relating to their sexual and reproductive health"

It is also unacceptable that through a lack of willingness to indemnify homebirth midwives the result will prevent women accessing registered midwives. State based models will be unable to cover the same geography that community based homebirth midwives currently do. In fact with Medicare funding greater access could have been achieved, enabling more women homebirth with a registered midwife.