Abortion foes capitalize on health care law

[cornermouse]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_overhaul_abortion

Abortion opponents fought passage of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul to the bitter end, and now that it's the law, they're using it to limit coverage by private insurers.

An obscure part of the law allows states to restrict abortion coverage by private plans operating in new insurance markets. Capitalizing on that language, abortion foes have succeeded in passing bans that, in some cases, go beyond federal statutes.

"We don't consider elective abortion to be health care, so we don't think it's a bad thing for fewer private insurance companies to cover it," said Mary Harned, attorney for Americans United for Life, a national organization that wrote a model law for the states.
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We told you this would happen..

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. But of course they consider Viagra health care

[jaxx]

2. It only invites the federal government into their states to assure

people have a choice in their health care plans. That obviously isn't what the anti's want, but it is what they'll get. Like the states opting out of the preexisting conditions, the federal is stepping in to cover them. Pubs aren't really smart, they're wily. But that doesn't mean they'll win on this.

[cornermouse]

3. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in politics and in life is when

you assume "the other guy" is dumb.

[jaxx]

4. That may be true in some cases, which is why I said they are wily.

Wily isn't smart, it's doing what is wrong to start with. They most often get caught in the act.

[cornermouse]

5. Bad news. They are winning.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_overhaul_abortion

Since Obama signed the legislation law March 23, Arizona and Tennessee have enacted laws restricting abortion coverage by health plans in new insurance markets, called exchanges. About 30 million people will get their coverage through exchanges, which open in 2014 to serve individuals and small businesses.

In Florida, Mississippi and Missouri, lawmakers have passed bans and sent them to their governors. Most of the states allow exceptions in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. Insurers still could offer separate policies to specifically cover abortion.

Three other states may act this year — Louisiana, Ohio and Oklahoma. Overall, there are 29 states where lawmakers or public policy groups expressed serious interest, Harned said.

[jaxx]

6. Don't give up so easily.

The federal can come in with exchanges that will allow abortion coverage. Please stop giving the fundie nuts an edge, they are wrong and will not win on this.

[enlightenment]

8. How is addressing what is happening

'giving the fundie nuts an edge' ?

Do you honestly believe that simply addressing a fact - the fact that states ARE using the language of the bill to their advantage - is somehow going to give the anti-abortion crowd that extra little bit they need to win?

Please point out where in the law the 'federal can come in with exchanges'. The exchanges are designed to be controlled at the state level - early on in the process the House suggested a 'federal' level exchange, but that is long gone and buried. It's certainly not in the bill signed by the President.

[jaxx]

9. If it works for this, it should also work for abortion.

<snip> The law allows states to decide whether they will 1) participate in a new high-risk health-insurance pool, 2) build on an existing program (if they have one), 3) establish a separate state-based high risk pool with federal funding, or 4) do nothing at all, in which case, the federal government would come in and administer the program.
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/05/03/15-states-opt-out-of-health-insurance-high-risk-pools/


<snip> The measure has Tennessee opting out of using state tax money to pay for abortions in state health care exchanges — though other abortion funding in the government-run health care bill can’t be suppressed by state efforts.
http://www.conservativeblogwatch.com/2010/04/20/first-state-opts-out-of-abortion-funding-in-dems-nationalized-health-care-bill/

[cornermouse]

10. I can't make you see or admit to what the article states.

But I can tell you that you're wrong. The anti-abortion crowd are winning and its thanks to the blue dems and Obama's idea of reaching out to the other side.

Oh yeah. We told you this was what would happen.

[jaxx]

11. I told you so?

LOL you betcha you did, you and the rest of the naysayers. Every day on every subject and with venom. You're wrong. How's that?

[marshall]

7. I'm sure there are many other "oscure parts of the law" surprises

Anything that big and largely unfamiliar is likely full of things that can be twisted and/or used as anyone sees fit. In some respects it's like the Bible.