Tiffany's Story and Health Care Reform

[FourScore]

Run time: 02:36 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwEIumVrUuQ   Posted on YouTube: March 16, 2010 By YouTube Member: plannedparenthood Views on YouTube: 5   Posted on DU: March 17, 2010 By DU Member: FourScore Views on DU: 378

 
Tiffany's Story:

In 2006 I became pregnant and was thrilled. After landing in the hospital with a severe kidney infection at 19-weeks gestation, I received my first ultrasound, leaving us shocked and thrilled to see we were expecting identical twin boys.

The joy didn’t last when our babies were diagnosed with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. Webmd.com describes Twin-Twin transfusion syndrome as "the most serious complication of identical twins. It starts in the womb when one twin gets too much blood and the other not enough. The outcome for both twins is grim."

Severe TTTS has a 60-100 percent likelihood of fetal or neonatal mortality rate. We were sent to one of the premier fetal care centers in the country and told our only hope for saving this pregnancy was to have a selective termination on the one of the babies, and hope the other twin would survive....

I never thought I would have to once again open deep wounds and share my deeply personal story, but then the Stupak-Pitts Amendment was added to the House version of the Affordable Health Care for America Act. The selective termination that saved my baby’s life would not be covered under the Stupak-Pitts Amendment.

The total bill from the fetal care center was just over $220,000. Add the care for the entire pregnancy and the cost was well over $500,000. We were fortunate that our insurance covered 80% of the costs. Had they not, I’m not sure what we would have done. Why should I have to choose between having a life-saving procedure that will most likely put us into bankruptcy while at the same time forcing me to choose between the best interests of our much wanted unborn child versus the best interests of our other two children? After three years we have finally paid off our share of bills from that pregnancy.