Gov't insurance would allow coverage for abortion

[BadDonkey]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue.

Federal funds for abortions are now restricted to cases involving rape, incest or danger to the health of the mother. Abortion opponents say those restrictions should carry over to any health insurance sold through a new marketplace envisioned under the legislation, an exchange where people would choose private coverage or the public plan.

Abortion rights supporters say that would have the effect of denying coverage for abortion to millions of women who now have it through workplace insurance and are expected to join the exchange.

Advocates on both sides are preparing for a renewed battle over abortion, which could jeopardize political support for President Barack Obama's health care initiative aimed at covering nearly 50 million uninsured and restraining medical costs. The dispute could come to a head with House and Senate floor votes on abortion this fall, a prospect that many lawmakers would like to avoid.

"We want to see people who have no health insurance get it, but this is a sticking point," said Richard Doerflinger, associate director of pro-life activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "We don't want health care reform to be the vehicle for mandating abortion." The church can't accept a public plan that covers abortion, he said.


Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jE8oH07rubGHV6lmgcgIGJFdUdkAD99SQP380

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This article sounds like BS to me.... The title of the article seems missleading. The title is obviously meant to get people worked up... I thought the AP was supposed to be a decent source for news? Also, does anybody know the real details on this? Why do they think they can use a headline like this? The article does not go into specifics.

[bluestateguy]

1. It's a bargaining chip that will be taken out in negotiations

Just watch.

[BadDonkey]

3. that makes sense from a bargaining standpoint....

...but they should know that this is just going to be beat to death by the GOP? This along with all the other bull on the Granny clause, etc... they sre getting lots of dis-information out there.

[NewJeffCT]

9. Please - they're saying the healthcare bill will force sex-change operations on people

according to Rachel Maddow last night. I don't think abortion is going to cause that much a stir even...

[BadDonkey]

17. who knows, but Google News already has 351 lnks to these articles... seems like the media is...

...going to make a big deal of this.

[MNDemNY]

2. I hope any plan does cover the whole range of health care for women.

On edit: Fuck-a-bunch of "pro-life" scum.

[BadDonkey]

5. me too.... but wouldnt it be better to work it in later?

up front it would just make it that much harder to get passed? I think for now the priority is to get everybody covered, right?

[MNDemNY]

6. No Fuck the catholick church, fuck the republicans. 50 votes is all we need. The end.

[sledgehammer]

10. 60, actually. To avoid filibuster. n/t

[MNDemNY]

14. Fillibuster can be eliminated.

[sledgehammer]

23. True, with the nuclear option I guess. Extremely contentious.

Dems don't want to go that route. Because it eliminates filibuster until a supermajority reinstates it. So that means repugs can use it to their advantage when (well, if) they are ever back in power.

In any case, the Blue Dogs are never going to let it happen that way.

[BadDonkey]

13. problem is, there are a few in the Senate who will not vote the Dem platform?

if you can be a Democratic Senator and vote against the Democratic platform? then what in fact defines you? How can they even call themselves members of the party?

[donco]

40. you wouldnt get the fifty

this was put in by some repug,had to be, it will kill any efforts to get anything passed.

[BOSSHOG]

11. Would that be the same

pro life scum who cheered when our bombs killed innocent civilians in Iraq? Yes. They are scum.

[MNDemNY]

16. Yes, and the same ones who rejoice when ever some poor sot on death row is "dispatched".

[babylonsister]

4. If it sounds like bs, why'd you post it?

And no, the AP has their agenda, as witnessed by this piece of crap.

[BadDonkey]

7. I posted it because it pissed me off when I read the frickin' headline...

it is obvious that who ever approved the headline has an agenda... frankly, it makes me feel kind of powerless when I see shit like this. The media has it out for health care reform and this article is just more evidence of that.

[Oregone]

8. Gov insurance shouldn't need to cover it

Leave it off. Then just fund all abortion clinics with government grants. Insurance need not apply

[SUMMERTREE2]

27. A Government Insurance Plan should cover at least what private plans do.

Why aren't these people telling Aetna, Blue Cross, Cigna, Pacificare,et al. what they shouldn't cover? Aren't these the same people who claim that market forces should be what determines these things?

[CountAllVotes]

12. report it

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to [e-mail].

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/

The more reports sent to the White House the better! They can fight back!

:kick:

[BadDonkey]

18. flagged it

[CountAllVotes]

19. the more of these things reported the better

let us show what liars these people are and how low they will go for attention. They are trying to scare people to death. It is frightening to me what THEY are doing!

Thanks for reporting it. I've reported two different ones today myself! :thumbsup:

:kick:

[BadDonkey]

21. love it... do you know if it works?

[CountAllVotes]

25. no I don't know

but I am sure someone in Pres. Obama's White House sure as hell does! :D

:kick:

[sundancekid]

15. AS USUAL, the AP headline is totally misleading. Period.

Buried in some of the far-down paragraphs is the REALITY that absolutely NO BILL AS CURRENTLY FORMULATED does away with the prohibitions inherent in the Hyde Amendment where federal funds CANNOT BE USED to have abortion procedures. BTW, Sen. Barbara Boxer was very good on this point (saying EXACTLY what I just stated) when she was interviewed by some breathless commentator (might even have been on Hardball, if memory serves)FOUND the link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32284387

snip of transcript
"MATTHEWS: And number two, no abortion...

BOXER: What's...

MATTHEWS: No abortion's going to be paid for by the health care bill, is that correct? No abortion is going to be subsidized by the health care bill?

BOXER: Yes because the Hyde Amendment is still in play and will continue to be in play. So all of this is a diversion by the people who want to, frankly, hurt President Obama. You've heard the Republican senator Jim DeMint say it, Let's make this Obama's Waterloo. Let's break him."

[defendandprotect]

31. Meanwhile, the Democrats should have long ago overturned the Hyde Amendment . . .

right now it's serving as a land mine on health care --

Get to it Dems --

[RaleighNCDUer]

20. Nobody is 'mandating' abortion, asshole.

The decision for abortion remains right where it always is, in the hands of the woman and her doctor.

[defendandprotect]

32. Correct . . . and when if government can dictate that a woman has to have a child . . .

it can also dictate that she cannot have a child.

[elehhhhna]

36. let's trade away birth control next.

yeah. that's the ticket.

[benld74]

22. The NEXT all out Media blitz in 3,2,1,,,

[Justitia]

24. Total bullshit. The Hyde Amendment expressly forbids it. Scare / diversion tactic.

Now, whether I agree w/the Hyde Amendment (I don't), is a completely different matter, but Healthcare Reform would NOT allow coverage for abortion due to existing federal law.

Just another emotion-based attempt to derail healthcare access for Americans.

[BadDonkey]

26. I knew it....

so what you aree saying is, federal law would overide any changes anyhow? Thanks for the info

[Justitia]

28. yes, the Hyde Amendment expressly forbids any federal funding of abortion

which includes Medicaid, SCHIP, Native Americans, federal employees and their dependents, Peace Corps volunteers, low-income residents of Washington, DC, federal prisoners, military personnel and their dependents, and disabled women who rely on Medicare.

[dipsydoodle]

29. Our UK NHS covers that

so why not. :shrug:

[defendandprotect]

30. This battle on abortion should have taken place decades ago --

but the Democrats permitted the GOP to carry on this nonsense -- pretty much not

responding strongly to it -- and not protecting women's clinics -- and giving

"pro-life" murderers the right of way!!!

Things have to change in this country, beginning with protecting women's clinics --

and protecting women's lives ....

[jody]

33. Rep. Capps wants a compromise that would accommodate both sides but IMO that's impossible.

"Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., author of the compromise, said she was trying to craft a solution that would accommodate both sides. Her amendment also would allow plans that covered no abortions whatsoever — not even in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother — to be offered through the insurance exchange."

[rd_kent]

34. "The church can't accept a public plan that covers abortion" ---Fuck what the church cant accept.

Last time I checked, the church (that church or any other church) doesn't make policy. All believers should be vocal at their places of worship to allow the ELECTED representatives decide what WE THE PEOPLE want for healthcare.

[Zhade]

35. Indeed. FUCK religion.

NT!

[elehhhhna]

37. the church" should lose its tax exempt status, then, since...

They are making a political statement. Period It in't about how their tax $'s used because they don't PAY TAXES.

[karynnj]

38. Does this idiot have any idea what words mean?

said Richard Doerflinger, associate director of pro-life activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "We don't want health care reform to be the vehicle for mandating abortion."

No one is MANDATING abortions - now, that would be extremely troubling.

[and-justice-for-all]

39. It should be covered, since it is at times a medical necessity..nt

[New Dawn]

41. Associated Press = Corporate Press