Abortion rights get screwed by health care reform

Ridiculous.

The health care reform bill passed by the House last weekend doesn't allow an abortion to be part of a benefit package bought by anyone who gets a government tax credit to help pay for the insurance.

Put another way:

Abortion would not be paid for in plans offered by a government-run insurance system. Also, people who took federal subsidies to buy insurance would not be able to use the money to buy such coverage.

It's enough to make this progressive scream. Aaaarrrrrggghhh! And I'm not even a woman, nor a man of child-bearing capability.

Along that line, I got a vasectomy before my re-marriage nineteen years ago. I'd had a child in my first marriage. I didn't want another one. My second wife-to-be felt the same way.

But when I went to talk with my family doctor about this, he didn't want to perform a vasectomy. "You're only 40," he said. "What if you want to eventually have another child?"

I told him that I was sure I didn't. He was still very reluctant. That creeped me out. Who was this guy to tell me what I should do with my sperm? I ended up going to another doctor.

This experience gives me some insight into how women feel who want an abortion, yet face roadblocks in getting one. This procedure is legal. So why is it often so difficult to have an abortion?

Because too many people in this country believe that it's OK to stick their noses into other peoples' private lives. Including a distressing number of Democrats who voted for the House abortion amendment.

Apparently women buying plans in the government exchange will be able to purchase an insurance rider that covers abortions. That's better than being excluded from coverage altogether. 

However, I don't see why people who get government help to buy health insurance can't be treated like those who purchase private insurance on their own. After all:

Remember the promises? Reform was about expanding choices, not allowing government to come between you and your doctor, no one will lose their coverage, and if you like your current plan you get to keep it. Apparently being female is a preexisting condition that exempts us from the promises, too.

My Regence Blue Cross of Oregon individual plan seems to include coverage for abortions. It's not crystal clear from the contract that I looked through this afternoon, but there's no mention of abortion in the list of stuff that isn't covered (like cosmetic surgery, massage, and such).

The 2010 health insurance plan for employees of the state of Oregon definitely includes abortion, as do 90% of private insurance plans.

Fortunately, it looks like President Obama recognizes the absurdity of reducing health insurance options for women. He wants the abortion restrictions in the House health care bill changed. 

President Obama suggested Monday that he was not comfortable with abortion restrictions inserted into the House version of major health care legislation, and he prodded Congress to revise them.

...On the one hand, Mr. Obama said, “we’re not looking to change what is the principle that has been in place for a very long time, which is federal dollars are not used to subsidize abortions.”

On the other hand, he said, he wanted to make sure “we’re not restricting women’s insurance choices,” because he had promised that “if you’re happy and satisfied with the insurance that you have, it’s not going to change.”

In the end, I suspect Obama will get his way. But it's irritating to see most Republicans in the House, and a loud minority of Democrats, treating women like second-class health care citizens.

A poll found that 71% of voters favor including reproductive services like birth control and abortion as part of health care reform. Hopefully they'll remember this come election time in 2010 and vote out the House members who are ignoring the will of the people.

Comments

[Rain]

Religion is still the almighty in this country and religion as the right wing so decrees. This is another example of it: http://www.timegoesby.net/weblog/2009/11/religions-intrusion-into-health-care-reform.html Apparently they will pay for prayer for healing. Why not witchdoctors?

[Eager]

This is why you don't want government running healthcare. You don't want the authority of a central, general bureaucratic policy being applied to the nuance of unique individual situations. "Sorry, but the procedure you request doesn't fall under the guidelines of Section 42B, subsection 22, line 5."

By the way, I'm not religious and abortion creeps me out. Generally, it's a cop out escape for the consequences of irresponsible behavior. A life has been snuffed. Period. No two ways about it. But I understand there are unique situations that are personal and it's up to the individual to decide what to do about them. They should have that choice, distasteful as it is. But make your fucking mind up early, so some Tiller baby killer doesn't get to do their late term dirty work.

[Blogger Brian]

I emailed Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon and asked them if my policy included coverage for abortions.

Regence is pretty secretive about this question. I couldn't find an answer by Googling. After I emailed them, I got a response that asked me for my policy number or date of birth.

After supplying this info, I waited another couple of days before getting the answer:

"Your non-group policy does provide coverage for termination of pregnancy as a part of the maternity benefits for eligible members. Eligible claims are covered the same as other medical services."

So Regence does cover abortions. I'm not sure why this isn't spelled out openly in the thick Premier contract, which otherwise goes into great detail about what is covered, and what isn't. I guess Regence Blue Cross of Oregon is trying to avoid controversy.

[m.g.burns]

Why not allow women choose to have retroactive abortions up to age 3?That would give them time to decide if they really want to be a mother.

[m.g.burns]

The u.s. govt should never pay for killing a baby.Germany was the last country to try that and look what that lead to.If a women doesn't want children she should always hold a tennis ball between her knees when in the company of a man.

[Blogger Brian]

m.g. burns, you're wrong. Many countries in the world pay for abortion through their national health plans. Those in Europe, for example:
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3415402.html

Abortion is legal. What's the harm in insurance plans, public or private, paying for it? If this country doesn't want women to have abortions, it should be made illegal.

Here's how European countries look upon abortion. Just as in the United States, there are some limitations upon it, but otherwise it is legal and paid for.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6235557.stm