Thursday, July 29, 2010

Abortion Coverage not Prohibited in High Risk Pools, says Congressional Report

A Congressional Service Report issued on July 23 found the health care reform law and President Obama's executive order do not explicitly prohibit government subsidized high risk insurance pools from covering abortion.
Thirteen senators wrote a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Wednesday urging her to "act immediately" to bar states operating the high-risk pools from covering elective abortions.

"Absent such contractual requirements, it will be necessary for Congress to modify the current law," they wrote, asking for a response by Friday.

The senators referenced a Congressional Research Service report dated July 23 that found the health care law, the subsequent executive order on abortion restrictions and the contracts themselves do not explicitly prohibit the high-risk pools from covering abortions with federal money.

The high-risk program, called the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, was meant to help those denied coverage over pre-existing conditions until the broader provisions of the law go into effect in 2014. The law set aside $5 billion in federal subsidies for the program, which is supposed to be either administered by the state or the Health and Human Services Department.

FULL STORY