House Healthcare Bill’s Passing To Federalize Abortions

By James Fox on March 11, 2010, 7:23 am

Pro-choicers fear that the government is on the verge of federalizing abortions in more ways than one.

What Does The Bill Say About Abortion

The House bill prohibits insurance companies from providing abortion coverage to anyone receiving government assistance in order to pay for their insurance. The Senate’s amendment permits insurers to offer abortion coverage but requires customers to buy it with their own money.

Out With Abortion Coverage In Private Health Care

Some critics of the health care bill are saying that women are going to be forced to give up abortion coverage in exchange for funding for their health care insurance premiums. They say that the ultimate goal is to have abortion coverage removed from private health insurance. Many private insurance companies cover elective abortions because it will save them money in the long run as an abortion is much cheaper for them than prenatal care and delivery. Critics are going so far as to say that if private insurance companies cannot offer abortion coverage in the exchange, then private insurances will not be able to offer it to anyone because it will be too big of a hurdle to cross to offer the different types of coverage.

 

The Doerflinger Factor

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ go to guy, Richard Doerflinger, has played a big part in the anti-abortion push for the House legislation. Doerflinger has gone so far as to say that the Senate is going to have to choose between a health care bill and its abortion position. Doerflinger’s Bishops’ group is pushing for a strict ban on using federal funds to pay for abortions. Doerflinger and Rep. Bart Stupak worked hand and hand to put together the final wording of the anti-abortion amendment that cleared the way for House passage of the health care bill by five votes.

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