Expert: Deborah - 11/19/2009

Question
Hi Deborah. My question is regarding the controversy over the Stupek ammendment. I am a bit confused, and was wondering if you could explain what this legislation would mean? I am confused because I thought that there was already a law in place banning federal funding for abortions? If this law passes, what would change? Also, do you personally feel that abortion should be covered under government health insurance? I know you are pro-choice, but I know some people who are also strongly pro-choice who feel that a woman should have the legal right to an abortion but that she shouldn't expect taxpayers to fund it for her. After all, many people are against abortion for religious and moral reasons, and do not like the idea of their tax dollars funding this procedure which they consider to be murder. Thank you.

Sandra  

Answer
Dear Sandra,

You are correct, The Hyde Amendment bans the use of federal tax dollars from paying for abortion,i.e. through medicaid.


What is the Hyde Amendment?

Passed by Congress in 1976, the Hyde Amendment excludes abortion from the comprehensive health care services provided to low-income people by the federal government through Medicaid.
http://www.aclu.org/reproductive-freedom/public-funding-abortion

However, currently most private insurance plans offer full abortion coverage.  What will change under the Stupak Amendment is that even private insurance companies will not be able to include abortion coverage in the following circumstances:


The Stupak Amendment “would bar anyone receiving a federal subsidy from purchasing a private plan that covers elective abortion. In addition, under Stupak, the public plans would not be allowed to offer abortion coverage prohibited under the Hyde amendment.” Pro-choicers claim that this is actually an expansion of the Hyde Amendment’s scope and would squeeze out private plans that cover abortion -

   [T]he need for the controversial measure is a direct consequence of liberal efforts to have the government take over the health care system. The amendment, proposed by Reps. Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Joe Pitts (R-PA), would merely extend protections under current law that prevent taxpayer funding for abortion through government health care programs such as Medicaid.

***The only reason the Stupak-Pitts amendment would apply restrictions to the private market is that the government would be drastically expanding its role in the private market as a result of the health care legislation.***

   Currently, women are able to purchase private health care plans that cover abortion because it remains a legal procedure and we still have a private market for the sale of health insurance. But if the House Democratic health care bill becomes law, individuals will only be allowed to purchase health insurance through a government-run exchange. And because millions of Americans will be using government subsidies to purchase insurance through the exchange, suddenly lawmakers get to have a say on what kind of private insurance policies individuals can purchase. In addition, the federal government would be directly operating one of the plans, known as the “public option.”
http://www.redstate.com/dan_mclaughlin/2009/11/10/democrats-divided-on-abortion/

Please write back if you would like to discuss this further.  

Best wishes,

Deb