Armed Forces Medical Plan Limits Abortions

[Roland99]

http://kevxml2adsl.verizon.net/_1_2C6DTO1029MR88C__vzn.dsl/apnws/story.htm?kcfg=apart&feed=ap&sin=D8C2HJAO0&qcat=usnews&passqi=&top=1&ran=6117

SAN FRANCISCO - A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that U.S. armed forces medical benefits should cover abortion costs only when a mother's life is at risk, a decision that the judges acknowledged was "callous and unfeeling."

The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came in the case of a Navy sailor's wife whose fetus had a fatal birth defect. She had an abortion five months into her pregnancy, but coverage for the procedure was denied.

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In Thursday's 3-0 ruling, judges said they were not judging the "wisdom, fairness or logic" of congressional legislation that limited abortions under military medical plans.

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The court cited a 1980 Supreme Court decision in which the justices upheld Medicaid legislation forbidding payment for abortions unless the "the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term."

Call me ignorant but does our military relied upon Medicaid for health care?

[jody]

1. Active military and their legal dependents do not need Medicaid. n/t

[Roland99]

2. Didn't think so. Then why the reference to a Medicaid legal case?

[jody]

3. A legal precedent. n/t

[Roland99]

4. Wouldn't it come down to differences between Medicaid and...

the insurance offered by the military? What's good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander, in this case.

[jody]

6. Perhaps but both programs are 100% funded with taxpayer dollars. n/t

[Roland99]

7. I understand that but if the coverages are spelled out differently...

see what I'm getting at?

Setting rules on one healthcare plan based on the rules of another doesn't make sense.

[jody]

8. I understand your point and abortion is a controversial issue. At one time

military hospitals performed abortions almost on demand but times change. I assume that currently the military is limited to abortions necessary to save the life of the mother as per the courts decision in the cited case.

We are way beyond my knowledge of military policies on abortions.

[Roland99]

9. Same here (re: your last line)

[win_in_06]

5. Allowed for mother's life at risk?

I thought the military wouldn't do them at all.