House Bill 16-232 is sponsored by Reps. Ralph DLG Torres, R-Saipan; Stanley T. Torres, R-Saipan; and Victor B. Hocog, Ind.-Rota.
Hocog told the Variety that the legislation wasn’t meant to discourage foreign women from having children in this U.S. commonwealth, but is aimed at helping employers who are already financially burdened amid the ongoing global recession.
“Let me emphasize, I am not against women having kids in the CNMI. It’s a question of policy. It’s only fair that if they [foreign women] want to have kids, their employers should not be burdened with such expenses,” Hocog said.
A natural birth in the CNMI is estimated to cost more or less $2,000 while Caesarian birth costs at least $5,000.
Hocog said when employers hired their employees and agreed to shoulder their medical expenses it should not include pregnancy because that is about raising a family.
“It’s like this, I agreed to pay for your medical expenses [through a health insurance] knowing fully that you will work for me; any illness I’d cover it for you, but having birth [and paying for such expenses] that’s not related to your job,” he added.
Foreign workers are mostly paid the islands’ current minimum wage of $4.05 an hour.
By law, their employers are obliged to provide them medical and health benefits.
Doromal, a former Rota teacher now based in Florida, said the proponents of H.B. 16-232 should have considered that women foreign workers barely make ends meet in the CNMI.
“Did these legislators consider this? Where would a woman without health insurance and making less than $5 an hour get affordable prenatal medical care? What facility would be available for delivery of a baby for those living below the poverty rate who do not qualify for Medicaid? Does the CHC offer affordable care to the indigent population of the CNMI or does the government rely on the federal government to carry these expenses?” Doromal said in her blog site “Unheard No More!”
“These legislators accept that an employer would be responsible for medical expenses of their employees for medical conditions requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat such as cancer, heart disease or other serious illnesses. Any of these conditions would result in costs far greater than the costs that would be incurred for prenatal care and the birth of a child. Therefore, their motives and intent must truly be examined,” she added.
