Abortion in Helath Care Reform: The Fight is Far From Over
Source: The Huffington Post By ELEANOR SMEAL Women had a lot to cheer about Saturday night when the House passed the historic Affordable Health Care Act. Among other major strides in health-insurance reform, it would eliminate "gender rating" in insurance pricing and unequal taxation of domestic partner benefits, ban discrimination based on preexisting conditions and stop the practice of dropping or capping coverage for sick people.
But our celebration was quickly dampened by an ugly amendment to the bill. The so-called Stupak amendment, named for one of its cosponsors, Bart Stupak (D-Mic.), bans abortion coverage not only in the public health-insurance option but in private plans participating in a new national health-insurance exchange.
This is an outrageous denial of choice to women, dictated behind the scenes by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and their army of lobbyists. Millions of poor and middle-class women would be denied abortion coverage and millions more would lose the coverage they already have, since 85 percent of private plans now cover abortion. Far from being abortion-neutral, the Stupak amendment is a giant step backward for women. It's unacceptable. In the compromise to get the bill passed, women and their health-care rights were thrown under the bus. Click here for full text |
