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TechnoratiWhile pro-life and pro-choice supporters continue to argue about the health care reform bill in their favor, independent analysts say the current proposed legislation leaves it “unclear” whether tax payers will pay for abortion services.
“Frankly we just don’t know yet,” said ABC News’s Kate Snow, who ran a fact check on whether abortion will be paid using public money, on “World News with Charles Gibson.”
Under current law, federal funds cannot be used for abortions except in the cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother is in danger. The proposed House bill “does not override the Hyde Amendment” which prevents the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortion services outside of the exceptions listed above, a Denver Post fact check stated.
But to complicate matters, the House Energy and Commerce Committee reached a compromise in July that allows insurance plans – private or government – to offer an option to cover abortions if the premium difference is paid for by private funds, not federal dollars.
“None of [the bills] say abortions should or could be paid for with tax dollars," said Timothy Johnson, chief medical editor of ABC News.
However, he added, “if you look at the language, it gets complicated. It’s not crystal clear whether or not that could happen with a so-called ‘public option,’ and even with private plans that might be subsidized by the government, maybe abortion would be allowed.”
Steven Waldman, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Beliefnet, came to a similar conclusion about abortion and the Health Care Reform bill in his column published in the Wall Street Journal this past week.
In his column, he cited the bill passed by the House Committee as stating, “Nothing in this Act shall be construed as preventing the public health insurance option from providing for or prohibiting coverage" for abortion in the "public option."
He then highlighted that pro-choicers believe the “neither-this-nor-that language” is neutral, while pro-lifers read the bill as meaning “since abortion ‘could’ be covered, it will be covered.”
“My personal view: the legislation passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee does not mandate abortion coverage, as pro-life groups claim, but does leave open the possibility that the government might pay for abortion,” wrote Waldman.
But many conservative groups are adamantly proclaiming that abortion will be covered in the health care overhaul.
Family Research Council, a leading conservative public policy group, in its newsletter Thursday listed its seventh “proof” that abortion will be considered a benefit in the health overhaul.
It cited the response of House Democrat Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) in a town hall meeting in San Jose as evidence that abortion will be covered in health care.
"[This is a] basic benefit plan developed by, um, health professionals... Abortion will be covered as a benefit by one or more of the health care plans available to Americans, and I think it should be," she said in response to a question.
But it seems Democrats, who are backing the bill, are contradicting themselves when it comes to the health care overhaul including abortion. Continue »
