House Bill for Healthcare Reform Includes Sweeping Ban on Abortion Coverage

Background
The Stupak-Pitts Amendment goes far beyond the abusive Hyde Amendment, which has denied federal funding of abortion since 1976. The Stupak-Pitts Amendment, if incorporated into the final version of health insurance reform legislation, will:
*Prevent women receiving tax subsidies from using their own money to purchase private insurance that covers abortion

*Prevent women participating in the public health insurance exchange, administered by private insurance companies, from using 100 percent of their own money to purchase private insurance that covers abortion

*Prevent low-income women from accessing abortion entirely, in many cases.

A compromise measure on abortion coverage-the Capps Amendment-which was already included in the House Bill took a more balanced approach:
*Stated that at least one of the private insurance options in every premium rating level must include, and one must exclude, coverage of abortion beyond rape, incest, or life

*Ensured that in each region of the country, there is at least one plan in the Health Exchange that offers abortion services, but also one plan in the Health Exchange that does not offer abortion coverage

*Did not interfere with State laws regarding abortion coverage, funding, and referrals

*Protected the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding for abortion services except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the woman's life. Insurers would guarantee that only non-federal dollars would go toward covering abortion. 


Reproductive Rights Talking Points
I urge you to ensure that the final health care reform bill contains comprehensive reproductive health care for women and that the Stupak-Pitts amendment be stripped from any final legislation:

*The Affordable Health Care for America Act already includes provisions that bar federal money from covering abortion services (included in the Capps amendment). This is a more balanced approach that allows women at all income levels to choose whether or not their plan covers abortion.

*Abortion is a legal medical procedure, and it needs to be part of the comprehensive health care coverage afforded to women. Forcing women to pay for a "rider" or any type of supplemental health insurance to cover this procedure is discriminatory.

*Over 85% of private insurance companies currently cover abortion. The Stupak-Pitts amendment would jeopardize abortion coverage by prohibiting all plans that are part of the public health insurance exchange to cover abortion. It is unclear if any plans would have any incentive to cover abortion under these strict guidelines.

*Excluding abortion coverage would put millions of women's lives in danger, and would be a huge setback for women's rights. If this provision is included, women would LOSE coverage they currently have. The Stupak-Pitts amendment is purely ideological and political-it does not take the reality of women's lives into consideration.

*The Stupak-Pitts amendment is particularly dangerous for low- and middle-income women, who will have no other choice than to purchase an insurance plan that does not cover abortion.

I urge you to stand up for the pro-choice community that supports you and ensure that women will be able to receive comprehensive health care coverage.
 

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