Funding to serve low-income pregnant moms is in jeopardy - please help ensure the health of all mothers and babies in Tompkins County! In Tompkins County, low-income expectant mothers receive much-needed visits from trained health care-workers, with the goal of identifying serious health care issues, ensuring that pregnant women are receiving adequate prenatal care, and providing education and support. Funding for this program - the Maternal Obstetrical Medicaid Services program (MOMS) - is in jeopardy. We are calling on the Tompkins County Legislature to reject funding cuts to the Certified Home Health Aid (CHHA), which, if enacted, would jeopardize the functioning of the MOMS program. Low-income mothers are at high-risk for costly medical interventions, including premature birth, maternal birth complications, and postpartum depression. These costly interventions can and are being reduced by MOMS home visits. We understand the serious need to find ways to cut costs in the county and state budget. However, this program actually serves to save critical health care dollars. Home health care visits help reduce costly interventions including premature births, reducing emergency room utilization, and long hospital stays. We respectfully request that the full funding for this program stay intact. A short term cut in order to balance the budget will ultimately cost the county and state much more, both in health care costs, but more importantly, in the health and well being of the low-income mothers and babies of Tompkins County.

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