We write so much about how uninsured women get screwed over by Texas lawmakers that we often forget about the women with health insurance. Did you know that some health insurance policies will actually cover an abortion? But maybe not for much longer!
Senator Larry Taylor of Friendswood has proposed a bill that he described as a "pro-life" health insurance reform. The bill applies to both private health insurance plans and health insurance offered through the Affordable Care Act.
Under Taylor's proposal, insurers are only allowed to offer abortion coverage in the case of medical emergencies. Women who just want abortions for fun would have to pay out-of-pocket or buy into a separate, supplemental health insurance plan. "Under this bill, you can choose to pay for abortions or you can choose not to pay for the abortions of others," he told the State Affairs committee, which passed the bill. There are no exceptions for women pregnant by rape or incest or for women who are carrying fetuses with birth defects.
Texas isn't the first state where politicians are busy telling insurers what abortions they can and can't cover. Ten states ban people from purchasing any health insurance policy that includes abortion coverage, and more states ban abortion coverage in insurance plans available through the Affordable Care Act. "While alarming, this trend represents a renewed effort to deny women insurance coverage for abortion care," writes the American Civil Liberties Union.
Send your story tips to the author, Amy Silverstein.
