Elijah Friedeman, the Millennial Perspective

Will the healthcare legislation currently in congress increase the number of abortions?

Well, it depends on who you ask. There are two widely differing views on this issue. The Liberals say that abortion is nowhere in the bill. They make the case that any mention of abortion in H.R. 3200 has been made-up by the Christian Right and that there is no way that the bill will cause an increase in abortions.

In fact, at a townhall meeting I attended last night, we were handed literature as we walked in that addressed frequently asked questions about the healthcare bill. One of the FAQ’s was about abortion. Was it in the bill? The answer we were given was a resounding no. This is also the message we got from the liberal congressman. Before the congressman started taking questions, he made it clear that no questions on abortion being in the bill would be tolerated.

On the other hand, you have the Pro-life movement that claims government will start using tax money to pay for abortions in all cases. Medicare, a taxpayer funded program, already funds abortions in cases of rape or incest, or if the life of the mother is in danger. The Pro-life community says the bill will allow taxpayer-funded abortions in ALL cases.

Who is right? Well, as it turns out neither side is completely right.

According to factcheck.org abortion was not explicitly mentioned in the original version of H.R. 3200. That has changed, though. An amendment passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, known as the Capps amendment, addresses abortion. The amendment allows abortions that are already covered by Medicaid to be covered by the public option. But it doesn’t stop there. The public option could still cover ALL abortions as long as the plan took in enough private money in the form of premiums. This private money could be used for funding abortions that aren't covered specifically in the Capps amendment.

According to factcheck.org, the Capps amendment would also allow private plans purchased with subsidies from the government to cover abortion.

The question remains, will H.R. 3200 increase abortions? The answer is simple, absolutely. This closing sentence from factcheck sums it up.

As for the House bill as it stands now, it’s a matter of fact that it would allow both a "public plan" and newly subsidized private plans to cover all abortions.

I would highly suggest that you read the whole post by factcheck. It is very helpful in breaking down the issue and giving you a clear view on where the facts stand.

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