USCCB calls for support of Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act
November 05, 2013
Cardinal Seán O'Malley of Boston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged members of Congress to support the Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, a bill sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).
Cardinal O’Malley explained:
Under the ACA [Affordable Care Act], unless state law requires otherwise, each insurer may choose whether to include elective abortions in the health plans it offers on a state health exchange.If the insurer does cover such abortions, the overall health plan may still receive federal tax subsidies; and every enrollee -- regardless of age, sex, or conscientious objection – must make a separate payment solely to cover other enrollees' abortions. This violates the policies governing all other federal health programs. In no other program may federal funds subsidize any part of a health plan that covers such abortions; and nowhere else does the federal government forbid insurers to allow an 'opt-out' from such coverage on conscience grounds.
“Not only may pro-life people have a very limited choice of health plans that do not violate their consciences – but the law makes it all but impossible for them to find out which plans they are,” he added.
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