Posted: | December 18, 2012 12:08 PM |
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From: | Representative Donna Oberlander |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | OPTION OUT OF ABORTION COVERAGE IN STATE |
Under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, each state beginning in 2014 will have in operation a health insurance exchange through which individuals and families can purchase insurance and, if eligible, can receive tax subsidies. This same act allows the state to enact laws prohibiting health insurance carriers that participate in their state’s exchange from offering coverage for abortions. At least 17 other states have enacted legislation to restrict coverage for abortion in their insurance exchange. Therefore, because taxpayer subsidies will be utilized to fund eligible individuals’ and families’ health insurance if purchased through the exchange, I am planning to introduce legislation which prohibits insurance carriers from offering coverage for elective abortions in the exchanges. The only exceptions are for the life of the mother, rape and incest. The legislation does not forbid, however, someone from purchasing coverage for elective abortions outside the exchange for a separate premium. |
Introduced as HB818