Letter: Abortion in Congress

January 27, 2010, Naples Daily News

Editor, Daily News:

The current national debate about health care and health insurance is being used as a weapon to assail and undercut women’s reproductive health care.

As the debate continues, it is essential that women’s access to the full range of reproductive health services not be compromised. Under present law, some insurance plans cover abortion services. Under the reforms being considered in Congress, the coverage of abortion services will be either severely restricted or nonexistent.

We should not go backwards when we reform health care and health insurance. One of the congressional bills actually contains a provision that encourages states to restrict abortion coverage in insurance plans. While neither the Senate nor the House bill attempts to outlaw abortion, both aim to restrict severely the rights and benefits women have right now.

Both bills make it more difficult for all women, but especially those with limited financial resources, to have insurance coverage for necessary abortions.

Yes, reducing abortions is a laudable aim. But some abortions will always be necessary, and the compassionate way to make abortions rare is not to restrict the rights of women. Better is the path of providing comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education and full access to contraception.

The proposed retrogressive changes to women’s health-care and insurance coverage should be defeated by our elected representatives.

— Fred Yarrington
Naples