Federally subsidized abortion in Obamacare

When President Obama was explaining Obamacare to the American public, pro-lifers were concerned that plans for huge federal subsidies would subsidize abortion-covering plans with taxpayer money.

President Obama replied that “No federal dollars will be used to fund abortions.”  Abortion-covering plans would require a separate payment from the client to pay for the abortion coverage itself.

That was then.  This is now.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has produced a report indicating that the concerns of pro-lifers were valid.

Of those who signed up for plans on the government website, 87% used at least some kind of subsidy.  No check was reported to have been made on whether the plans they selected covered abortion.

Furthermore, according to National Right to Life News, “not a single one of the 18 insurance companies that are selling abortion-covering plans, and that responded to the GAO, actually were collecting a separate payment from enrollees for elective abortion coverage.”

In addition, the legislative language required states to make sure there were plans available to pro-lifers that did not cover elective abortion.  That is not currently enforced either.  According to the GAO, in five states  –  Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont –  “every insurance plan currently sold on the exchange covers elective abortion.”

In other states — California, New York, Massachusetts, and Oregon — abortion coverage was the general rule, appearing in 92 – 98% of the plans.

The House of Representatives has passed a “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion” Act that would help resolve the issue.  Senator Harry Reid has prevented action on a similar Senate bill.

National Right to Life News, September 2014 issues.