Reid’s Senate Health Care Bill Contains Monthly Abortion Premium for Taxpayers
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 19, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — House Republican Leader John Boehner says the new health care bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled yesterday contains a monthly abortion premium that taxpayers will be forced to pay. His analysis follows that of pro-life groups that say the bill contains massive abortion funding.
"Just like the original 2,032-page, government-run health care plan from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s massive, 2,074-page bill would levy a new ‘abortion premium’ fee on Americans in the government-run plan," he notes.
Beginning on line 7, p. 118, section 1303 under “Voluntary Choice of Coverage of Abortion Services” the Health and Human Services Secretary is given the authority to determine when abortion is allowed under the government-run health plan.
Reid’s plan also requires that at least one insurance plan offered in the Exchange covers abortions (line 13, p. 120).
"What is even more alarming is that a monthly abortion premium will be charged of all enrollees in the government-run health plan," Boehner says.
He says the premium is mentioned on line 11, page 122, section 1303, under “Actuarial Value of Optional Service Coverage.”
"The premium will be paid into a U.S. Treasury account – and these federal funds will be used to pay for the abortion services," he explained.
Under the bill, Americans will be required to pay at least $1 a month to cover the cost of abortions.
"Section 1303(a)(2)(C) describes the process in which the Health Benefits Commissioner is to assess the monthly premiums that will be used to pay for elective abortions under the government-run health plan and for those who are given an affordability credit to purchase insurance coverage that includes abortion through the Exchange. The Commissioner must charge at a minimum $1 per enrollee per month," Boehner said today.
Boehner says that polling data has consistently shown that Americans do not want to pay for abortions.
"A majority of Americans believe that health care plans should not be mandated to provide elective abortion coverage, and a majority of Americans do not believe government health care plans should include abortion coverage," he said.
Boehner urged the Senate to adopt language similar to the Stupak amendment that the House approved to limit abortion funding under the public option and affordability credits.
"Health care reform should not be used as an opportunity to use federal funds to pay for elective abortions. Health reform should be an opportunity to protect human life – not end it," he said.
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