National Catholic Reporter,
Mar. 12,
2010
Pro-life group urges Congress to pass Senate health care bill
By Thomas C. Fox
Twenty-five pro-life
Catholic theologians and Evangelical leaders yesterday sent letters
to members of Congress urging them not to let misleading information
about abortion provisions in the Senate health care bill block
passage of sorely-needed reform.
Catholics in Alliance
for the Common Good, a Washington-based advocacy group, said that
the Senate health bill upholds abortion funding restrictions and
supports pregnant women.
The letter included
a page by page analysis of the Senate bill as it pertains to abortion.
The group asked members
of Congress “to make an informed decision about this legislation
based on careful deliberation guided by facts.”
“We believe that
the provisions below provide extensive evidence that longstanding
restrictions on federal funding of abortion have been maintained.
Furthermore, this bill provides new and important supports for
vulnerable pregnant women,” the letter states.
The complete text of
the letter follows:
Dear Member of Congress,
As Christians committed
to a consistent ethic of life, and deeply concerned with the health
and well-being of all people, we want to see health care reform
enacted. Our nation has a rare and historic opportunity to expand
coverage to tens of millions of people, make coverage more affordable
for all families, and crack down on many of the most harmful practices
of the health insurance industry.
We are writing because
of our concern about the lack of clear and accurate information
regarding abortion provisions in the health care reform bill passed
by the Senate on December 24, 2009.
Reforming our health
care system is necessarily complex, and the provisions related
to abortion, or any other issue, require careful examination of
the facts as they exist in the legislative language. We believe
that the provisions below provide extensive evidence that longstanding
restrictions on federal funding of abortion have been maintained.
Furthermore, this bill provides new and important supports for
vulnerable pregnant women.
Following is a comprehensive
factual listing of all provisions related to abortion and positive
supports for pregnant women in HR 3590, along with specific page
references.
Abortion-Related Provisions
Included in the Senate-Approved Health Care Reform Bill “Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act” (HR 3590 EAS/PP)
· Prohibits
the Secretary of HHS from requiring the coverage of any abortion
services as part of the essential health benefits for any qualified
health plan offered in a state insurance Exchange (pg. 2070);
· Allows the
insurance company to decide whether or not to include coverage
of abortion services, including the Hyde abortion exceptions,
in a qualified health insurance plan offered in a state insurance
Exchange (pg. 2070);
· Prohibits
insurance companies from using federal funds, including federal
tax credits and cost-sharing assistance, to pay for abortion services
except for those services allowable under the Hyde amendment (pg.
2071);
· Requires an
insurance company that chooses to offer a plan in a State Exchange
with abortion coverage, beyond the Hyde abortion exceptions, to
collect a separate second premium payment from each enrollee for
the cost of the abortion coverage (pgs. 2071-2072 & 2074-2075);
· Requires the
insurance company to deposit all separate payments into a separate
account that consists solely of abortion premium payments and
that it is used exclusively to pay for such services (pgs. 2072-2074);
· Requires the
state health insurance commissioners to ensure that insurance
companies comply with these requirements in accordance with guidance
and accounting standards set by the Office of Management and Budget
and the Government Accountability Office (pg. 2075);
· Requires insurance
companies that offer general abortion coverage as part of a qualified
health plan to provide a notice of coverage in the summary of
benefits and coverage explanation (pg. 2076);
· Allows states
to pass a law prohibiting the inclusion of abortion coverage in
plans offered in a state health insurance Exchange (pg. 2069);
· Requires the
director of the Office of Public Management to ensure that there
is at least one private, multi-state qualified health plan offered
in each state insurance Exchange that does not provide coverage
of abortion services beyond the Hyde exceptions (pgs. 2087-2088);
· Prohibits
insurance companies offering qualified health plans from discriminating
against any individual health care provider or health care facility
because of its unwillingness to provide, pay for, provide coverage
of, or refer for abortions (pg. 2076);
· Prohibits
the preemption of state laws regarding abortion (pg. 2077);
· Maintains
current Federal laws relative to conscience protection; willingness
or refusal to provide abortion; and discrimination on the basis
of the willingness or refusal to provide, pay for, cover, or refer
for abortion or to provide or participate in training to provide
abortion (pg. 2077);
· Establishes
and provides $250 million for programs to support vulnerable pregnant
women (pgs. 2170-2173); and
· Increases
the adoption tax credit and makes it refundable so that lower
income families can access the tax credit (pgs 2400-2407).
We are now at a critical
moment in the history of our country. More than 30 million Americans
may finally gain access to a health care system that is affordable
-- providing families, children and seniors with fundamental care
that is essential to human dignity. We respectfully ask that you
make an informed decision about this legislation based on careful
deliberation guided by facts.
Sincerely,
Morna Murray
President
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Ron Sider
President
Evangelicals for Social Action
Rev. Jim Wallis
President and CEO
Sojourners
Stephen F. Schneck
Director, Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies
The Catholic University of America
Joel Hunter
Senior Pastor
Northland Church
Dr. David P. Gushee
Chair
New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good
David O’Brien
Professor of Faith and Culture
University of Dayton
Francis Xavier Doyle
Former Associate General Secretary
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Jean Stokan
Director
Institute Justice Team
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
Lisa Cahill
Professor of Theology
Boston College
Bryan N. Massingale,
S.T.D.
President, Catholic Theological Society of America
Associate Professor of Theology
Marquette University
David DeCosse
Director of Campus Ethics Programs
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
Santa Clara University
Nicholas P. Cafardi
Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law
Duquesne University School of Law
Dennis M. Doyle
Religious Studies
University of Dayton
Terrence W. Tilley
Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. Professor of Catholic Theology
Chair, Theology Department
Fordham University
Richard Gaillardetz
Murray/Bacik Professor of Catholic Studies
University of Toledo
Vincent J. Miller
Professor
Department of Religious Studies
University of Dayton
Alex Mikulich
Research Fellow
Jesuit Social Research Institute
Loyola University
Sandra A. Yocum, Ph.D.
Chair of Religious Studies
University of Dayton
Rev. Dr. Cynthia L.
Hale
Senior Pastor
Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur, GA
Dr. Barbara Williams
Skinner
President
Skinner Leadership Institute
Cheryl Bridges Johns
Professor of Christian Formation & Discipleship
Pentecostal Theological Seminary
Brian McLaren
Author, Speaker and Founding Pastor
Cedar Ridge Community Church
Glen Stassen
Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian Ethics
Fuller Theological Seminary
Lisa Sharon Harper
Executive Director, NY Faith & Justice
Author, Evangelical Does Not Equal Republican...or Democrat
By NCR Staff
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