Having criticized Democrats for failing to neutralize the abortion issue on health care through effective “common ground” provisions, I must point out that the pro-lifers have fared no better.
When the issue came up before the House Energy and Commerce Committe, the pro-life forces offered up an amendment declaring not only that taxpayer funds wouldn’t pay for abortions but that no funds could “cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of abortion.”
Part of health care reform has nothing to do with the controversial “public option” paid for by the government. In this less controversial part, the government would create an insurance shopping mall for private plans. Under the pro-lifer amendment, the government could be precluded from even including in their exchange any private insurance plan if it covered abortion — even if the policyholder paid 100% of the premiums.
That amendment would also likely make it so citizens who got any government financial help for health care would only be allowed to buy private insurance plans that don’t cover abortion.
In other words, this amendment would take a big step toward limiting what private insurers do about abortion.