ABORTION INSURANCE

Here’s an article that helps explain the differences between the Senate Healthcare Reform abortion language, and the language in the House’s legislation.  Basically both versions of the healthcare bill prohibit federal funds from being used to pay for abortion, except in the cases of incest, rape or to save the life of the mother.  And, neither of these bills restricts abortion. 

Both pieces of legislation provide a path to purchase abortion insurance.  Here are the differences.

• The House version prohibits insurance companies from offering abortion services if they accept federal subsidies.  And, basically, all insurance companies would accept federal subsidies because that’s how we as a country are going to give access to healthcare to 30 million more Americans — and insurance companies want access to these new customers.  The House language, written by Congressman Bart Stupak, says that if a woman wants abortion insurance coverage she must buy a separate insurance policy just for that service.
• The Senate legislation, written by Nebraska’s Ben Nelson, says that insurance companies can offer abortion services even if they accept federal subsidies. BUT if a woman and her family want that separate insurance she has to pay for it with a separate check sent directly to the company in order to not co-mingle federal funds with individual citizens’ funds.

Whew.  According to Washington and Lee University law prof, Timothy Jost, the only difference between the two bills is an administrative technicality.  If a family wants abortion insurance,  “What Stupak says is you have to buy a separate policy, and what Nelson says is you have to write two checks,” said Jost.

“There’s no public funding of abortion.  And people who don’t want to pay for other people’s abortions wouldn’t be forced to do so,” Jost added. They could simply pick a plan that doesn’t cover it.

How dumb would it be if Healthcare Reform failed to pass over such a tiny technicality?  Shame on you, Bart Stupak, if you cause this legislation to go down.  And, if you do, be sure to know that you will be held accountable at election time — keep looking over your shoulder and thinking, “Blanche Lincoln, Blanche Lincoln, Blanche Lincoln.”