Abortion and Health Care Reform

If we get health care reform in America, will taxpayers have to pay for abortion? It’s a reasonable question. I just can’t get anyone to answer it. If I ask someone who is critical of the current plan to reform health care, they will ignore the question and say that there are bigger problems with the plan in Congress than abortion funding. OK, that’s true, but what about funding abortion?

And if you ask a proponent of health care reform about abortion funding, they will tell you that the details for that have to be worked out. They may even tell you that there are no current plans for funding abortion through the government option.

Fortunately, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) gave an answer as she attempted to explain an amendment in the Senate HELP Committee (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee). Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) asked if the language of the amendment would include abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood.

Here is how she stammered through with her answer: “It would include women’s health clinics that provide comprehensive services and under the definition of a woman’s health clinic, it would include, uh, it would include, uh, Planned, uh, Parenthood clinics. It would, um, it does not expand in any way expand a service. In other words, it does not expand, um, uh, or mandate abortion service.”

Senator Hatch followed up: “No, but it would provide for them.” Senator Mikulski answered: “It would provide for any service deemed medically necessary or medically appropriate.”

So there you have it. The Senate will not see the legislation for health care reform for weeks and won’t vote on it until much later. But if the latest question about abortion funding in this amendment is any indication, it is a preview of future votes. By the way, the amendment passed.

When debate begins on health care reform, we will hear how all medically necessary funding must be in the government option, Proponents will argue that since abortion is legal in America is must be part of the comprehensive services that will be provided. So will taxpayers have to pay for abortion? The answer is yes. I’m Kerby Anderson, and that’s my point of view.