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Washington Democrats find a new low: compulsory coverage of abortion in private insurance
liveaction ^ | Calvin Freiburger

Posted on 03/25/2013 5:25:14 PM PDT by Morgana

Nationally, pro-abortion politicians at least go through the motions to hide their extremism on the issue, such as insisting that the insurance mandates they support cover only contraception and suggesting that they wouldn’t force anyone to pay for abortions against his or her will. But in the state of Washington, Democrats have dropped the charade and lunged for what the rest of their party really wants – forcing private insurers to cover abortion.

The Reproductive Parity Act, as supporters call it, would require insurers in Washington state who cover maternity care — which all insurers must do — to also pay for abortions.

The bill passed the state House earlier this month by a vote of 53-43, though it faces an uncertain future in the Senate. A similar bill in the New York state Assembly has been introduced each session for over a decade but has never received a public hearing.

“This is a core value for Washingtonians,” said Melanie Smith, a lobbyist for NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. “We should protect it while we still have it and not leave access to basic health care up to an insurance company.” […]

Supporters of Washington state’s proposed abortion insurance mandate are careful to stress that it wouldn’t lead to a dramatic uptick in abortions or require carriers with a religious bent to cover the procedure. They also note that a pair of federal plans that will be sold on all 50 state exchanges will be barred from covering elective abortions.

So if Washington’s enlightened masters decide that a particular company is religious enough to not ignore its First Amendment rights, it won’t have to worry about being forced to pay for killing babies. How generous. Maybe we could save liberals a lot more time and effort by just making an application form for American citizens subjects who would prefer that the Constitution still apply to them.

Perhaps the issue’s most telling detail is this admission:

At present, all major insurers in Washington state cover abortions, and [Democrat Rep. Eileen] Cody, the bill’s sponsor, said she knows of no carrier with plans to change. Insurers new to Washington state on its exchange may be tempted to adopt different policies, she said.

So the proposed mandate isn’t even in response to some lack of abortion “access” plaguing the state; plans that insure the procedure are readily available. Pro-choicers not of a tyrannical bent would be content to leave it at that, but not here: to Washington Democrats, the very possibility that one or two future insurers might choose to run their businesses differently is a good enough excuse to take away their freedom. Apparently the left’s already elastic definition of “access” is now so broad that even putting in the effort to find out for yourself whether the policy you’re purchasing covers abortions is too strenuous a burden to ask of people.

As Human Life of Washington spokeswoman Peggy O’Ban says, this proposal is ultimately a “conscience coercion act.” As unhealthy as a society that tolerates the slaughter of its children is, one that forces others to join in sinks to an entirely new level of depravity.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: abortion; deathpanels; democrats; healthcare; healthinsurance; insurance; obamacare; prolife; washington; zerocare

1 posted on 03/25/2013 5:25:14 PM PDT by Morgana
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To: Morgana

Death penalty for the pre-born.

As my long dead Irish grandmother would have said...the devil take their souls....


2 posted on 03/25/2013 5:29:59 PM PDT by nascarnation (Baraq's economic policy: trickle up poverty)
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To: Morgana

the “core value” she’s talking about is wome having God-like power to murder their unborn child if they desire.


3 posted on 03/25/2013 5:38:20 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I can neither confirm or deny that; even if I could, I couldn't - it's classified.)
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To: Morgana

More money in the coffers of Planned Parenthood, who are approaching a monopoly in the Abortion Industry. They have bought these politicians and they expect a pay back. Lot’s of folks getting very rich.


4 posted on 03/25/2013 5:54:33 PM PDT by centurion316
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To: Morgana

Private insurance companies should be able to cover what they choose to cover; and people should be able to purchase the insurance that they want; men and post menopausal women do not need maternity coverage.

So the foot was in the door when legislators mandated ANY kind of coverage.


5 posted on 03/25/2013 5:55:43 PM PDT by DLfromthedesert
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To: centurion316

Follow the money....
It always seems to lead to the true motivation.
Of course that NEVER gets a mention in the MSM.


6 posted on 03/25/2013 5:55:56 PM PDT by nascarnation (Baraq's economic policy: trickle up poverty)
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To: Secret Agent Man

They’ve had that power in Washington since 1970 when it was approved by citizen initiative. This just closes the payment loophole don’t you see?


7 posted on 03/25/2013 5:57:06 PM PDT by bigfootbob
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To: Morgana

Is there any doubt? Democrats and other liberals feel every live birth is a failure of cosmic proportions.


8 posted on 03/25/2013 6:15:04 PM PDT by stevem
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To: Morgana

I think these people might be getting close to jumping the shark..


9 posted on 03/25/2013 6:22:03 PM PDT by what's up
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To: Morgana

It is truly Orwellian that how the word “Reproductive” is used in today’s political context.


10 posted on 03/25/2013 6:34:30 PM PDT by The Free Engineer
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To: Morgana

This will be repeated at the federal level - the only difference being that the federal law has already been passed. The Unaffordable Health Care Act already grants authority to HHS to invent whatever regulations they find necessary. Before 2016 rolls around, the federal government will require all health insurers to cover abortion.


11 posted on 03/25/2013 6:52:09 PM PDT by Hoodat (I stand with Rand.)
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To: Morgana

If they could somehow force every pro-lifer to actually participate in the infliction of an abortion, they would do so.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if precisely that becomes a condition for parole of pro-life people when - at some point in the future - their activities are criminalized to the point of round-ups and incarcerations of vocal Witnesses of Christ.

The path we’re on at present will inevitably take us to that place.


12 posted on 03/25/2013 7:23:56 PM PDT by Steely Tom (If the Constitution can be a living document, I guess a corporation can be a person.)
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