Washington D.C., Mar 18, 2010 / 19:47 pm
Lacking strict rules on abortion funding, the Senate health care bill will allow subsidized insurance companies to force people to pay for “morally repulsive” abortion services, Sr. Mary Ann Walsh, director of media relations for the U.S. bishops, has charged.
She added that the health care bill currently under consideration would limit health plan options for those who want a plan that does not cover abortions.
“That could happen under the Senate bill, if your child has asthma and the best specialist is not in the one health plan in your state that excludes abortion services. To get your child to that specialist, you'd have to ante up for the abortion fund in the plan,” Sr. Walsh said in a March 17 column for the Washington Post’s “On Faith” section.
She accused the Senate legislation of “shying away” from the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of federal money to pay for elective abortions and for health care plans that include the procedures.