Momentum Builds to Reject Abortion as 'Health Benefit'

I wanted to bring you an important update about the push on Capitol Hill to make abortion services a mandatory health 'benefit' in national health care coverage.

In the first week of our national campaign, some 65,000 Americans have signed on to our petition calling on Congress to exclude abortion as a mandatory health benefit as part of any health care legislation being considered.  At the same time, we're providing legal analysis to House members urging them to reject the abortion mandate.

What is clear is this:  the American people understand that mandatory coverage for abortion services should not be a part of any health care legislation. The opposition to defining abortion services as a mandatory health benefit is clear.  Its time that Congress gets the message: When it comes to mandatory health benefits, Americans dont want their tax dollars used or force private insurance plans to fund abortion. 

We will continue to push for a legislative remedy that explicitly excludes abortion from any government mandated coverage or taxpayer funded health plan.  And, we're engaging members of Congress - distributing a new legal analysis about what needs to be done to keep abortion services from being part of the mandatory health benefits to be provided with insurance coverage.

You can read the new legal analysis here.

In the memo, we argue that it is vital that any health care reform plan explicitly exclude abortion services from any national health care coverage mandate.  The memo also notes that any amendment to health care reform legislation that seeks to exclude abortion must protect both private insurers from having to provide coverage for abortion and ensure that taxpayer funds are not used to pay for abortion. 

In addition to needing a clear ban on the use of public funds for abortions, we warn that the pro-abortion health-care push could jeopardize existing state abortion laws, too.

The ACLJ memo concludes:  Congress must make clear that any reform passed will not preempt and invalidate state laws regulating abortion. Portions of the proposal would allow the federal plan and its administrators to determine that state laws restricting abortion, such as parental notification laws or informed consent laws, prevent the application of a requirement of the plan. In such instances the requirements of state law would be preempted. Such an outcome needs to be avoided and state laws respected.

What is encouraging is that so many of you already have added your name to our petition demanding action.  Your voice will make a difference.  If you haven't done so already, please add your name to our petition online demanding that Congress take the legislative action necessary to exclude abortion as a mandatory health 'benefit' in any insurance coverage approved by Congress.