I heard that...
...that coverage for abortions is included in the healthcare reform bill. Is that true?
This is not true. Federal funding of abortion coverage is prohibited. Abortion coverage may not require as part of the minimum benefit package required for plans offered through insurance exchanges.
The concern about coverage for abortions in healthcare reform centers around the “essential benefits package” include in the federal healthcare reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine an essential benefits package—or a standard set of core benefits—that plans offered through insurance exchanges will have to include. This includes private plans offered through the insurance exchanges as well as any state provided public insurance option.
PPACA prohibits abortion coverage as part of the essential benefits package. The bill does not prohibit private insurance companies from choosing to offer abortion coverage. Each state exchange must offer one plan with and one plan without coverage. Federal subsidies provided to individuals to purchase health insurance may not be used to pay for abortion coverage, an individual will have to pay for that out of his/her premium.
Additional Resources
House Health Care Bill Criticized as Panel Votes for Public Plan, New York Times
Religious Progressives Raise Concerns About Abortion in Healthcare Reform, U.S. News & World Report
Since 1997, The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati has invested over $111 million in projects that improve the health of the Cincinnati area. With major healthcare reform imminent, the Health Foundation aims to be a source for credible, timely information that can inform people in our region about the healthcare reform debate. While we do not support any specific plan or approach, we do support certain principles that we believe would improve access to healthcare and make our region healthier.
The Health Foundation supports a healthcare system that:
- IS FOR ALL and
- Is a coordinated system that preserves choice
- Provides access to affordable insurance coverage
- Provides access to appropriate healthcare services
- Encourages and rewards quality care, and
- Has broad financing and cost controls
Please visit http://www.healthfoundation.org/reform for more information.