Abortion opponents say elective abortions may be covered in high-risk pools
Abortion opponents worry that vague language used in the new health care reform bill could lead to the coverage of elective abortions in new high risk insurance pools and say that may already be starting in New Mexico and Pennsylvania.
The Associated Press: "Federal officials say
elective abortion is barred under the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance
Plan. It offers coverage to people turned down by private insurers
because of medical problems, at rates comparable to what the healthy
pay. But at least one state — New Mexico — initially listed elective
abortion as a covered benefit, reversing course after The Associated
Press inquired on Wednesday. National Right to Life and other abortion
opponents say rules for the program have not been clearly spelled out,
and that could open the way for taxpayer-subsidized coverage of elective
abortion. … New Mexico included elective abortion as a covered benefit,
following what it was already doing with its own state health programs"
(Alonso-Zaldivar, 7/14).
USA Today: "Abortion opponents are warning that
abortions will be covered in some new government health care programs
for people who have been denied insurance because of pre-existing
conditions, despite an order signed by President Obama forbidding the
use of federal money for the procedure. The order, signed by Obama in
March in an effort to win enough votes to pass sweeping health care
legislation, is 'a sham,' says House Republican leader John Boehner of
Ohio. The National Right to Life Committee is citing language on
government websites in two states — Pennsylvania and New Mexico—
suggesting that new federally funded high-risk insurance pools for
patients with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes will cover
'elective' abortions for residents of those states. The Obama
administration, however, says it will make sure abortions are not
covered under the new high-risk insurance pools in the states, many of
which are scheduled to take effect next month" (Hall, 7/14).
The Hill: "To placate anti-abortion Democrats,
President Obama signed an executive order barring use of federal funds
to cover abortions in health insurance exchanges. That order does not
apply to the high-risk pools. 'This was one of the many concerns from
the beginning: that abortion language in the bill doesn't cover high
risk pools,' Susan B. Anthony List spokeswoman Kerry Brown told The
Hill" (Pecquet, 7/14).
The Washington Times: "Pennsylvania and federal
officials insist the money would cover only nonelective, or necessary,
abortions. Both sides, however, essentially have staked their argument
on the meaning of a 'necessary' abortion and a passage in the roughly
60-page proposal from the program, which provides insurance to residents
previously denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions" (Weber,
7/14).
ABC News: "The Obama administration reiterated
today that funding for President Obama's health care legislation would
only pay for abortions in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the
mother is at risk" (Tapper, 7/14).
Abortion is also a
controversial issue as states begin plans for the insurance exchanges
that were created in the new health law.
The Hill: "Missouri on Wednesday will become the
fifth state to ban health plans from offering abortion coverage on its
health insurance exchange. ... The legislation has exemptions for rare
cases where the mother's life is in danger from 'a physical disorder,
physical illness, or physical injury' including 'a life-endangering
physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.'
Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee have already passed
opt-out legislation" (Pecquet, 7/14).
Stateline.org: "Frank A. Hoffmann, a member of the
Louisiana House of Representatives … helped shepherd legislation signed
by Governor Bobby Jindal last week that will ban abortion coverage from
the one-stop 'health exchange' that his state is legally required to
create by 2014. ... [Louisiana] lawmakers also decided to deny medical
malpractice protection to doctors who perform certain elective abortions
and gave the state the authority to shut down an abortion clinic that
is not in compliance with state law. ... That means a woman seeking an
abortion ... would still have access to it, but if she gets her
insurance through an exchange, she would have to pay for the abortion on
her own. Nearly a dozen states approved significant anti-abortion laws
this year, more than in recent years" (Prah, 7/15).
On a separate note, The Associated Press/Boston Globe report: "A federal judge yesterday blocked a new Nebraska law requiring mental health screenings for women seeking abortions because the measure could have made it impossible to get an abortion in the state. US District Judge Laurie Smith Camp granted Planned Parenthood of the Heartland's request for a preliminary injunction against the law, which was supposed to take effect today. The order will prevent the state from enforcing the law until the lawsuit challenging it is decided. State officials have said the law is designed to make sure women understand the risks and complications that may accompany an abortion" (Funk, 7/15).
Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent news service. It is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health-care-policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.