Health reform hands states surprising weapon against abortion

[No Elephants]

Health reform hands states surprising weapon against abortion
At least 21 states have legislation in the works that will stop insurance from paying

By Maggie Fox Senior Writer, NBC News
updated 2 hours 56 minutes ago

Abortion opponents have found a new way to restrict access to abortion – by using the authority states have over the new health insurance exchanges, which will be up and running in a year

At least 21 states have legislation in place or in the works that will stop health insurance companies from paying for abortions for women. Arkansas governor Mike Beebe signed the latest piece on Monday.

The 2010 Affordable Care Act requires states to set up health insurance marketplaces called exchanges by October of this year. Through exchanges, people who don’t have health insurance through the government or an employer can buy health insurance.

States that set up their own exchanges can set the rules for insurers who take part. States that decline to set up exchanges will rely on the federal government to run them.

“Since the health care law was passed, because there is language in the law that says specifically that states can do this, states have taken it up,” says Gretchen Borchelt, who heads state reproductive health policy at the National Women’s Law Center.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50802838/ns/health-health_care/#.URzVgGchrrd

Anyone remember my complaining before the 2012 election about the cynicism I saw in Democrats using the so-called Republican War on Women to get votes?