Health Care Reform

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.

December 29, 2009, St. Petersburg Times

The Senate passed health care reform at the expense of women. Senators who supported reform were forced to accept an unworkable abortion provision.

The provision pushed by Nebraska's Sen. Ben Nelson imposes significant new obstacles to women seeking health care coverage, requiring tens of millions of Americans to write two checks to pay for private health insurance instead of just one.

December 30, 2009, Gainesville Sun

When Congress does return to finish the great health care debate, ideology, not finances may turn out to be the deal killer.

The House version includes a ban on federal funding for insurance plans that provide abortion coverage. The Senate's more “liberal” version would allow federal subsidies for such plans, but only if the plans collect separate premiums for abortion coverage and keep the premium dollars separate from federal funds.

December 5, 2009, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

All Americans can agree that abortion is a morally complex issue often sparking a range of emotions and decisions which people of different faiths resolve differently. Our current federal laws respect these religious differences, while preventing federal funds from being used for abortions. The Stupak amendment contained in the House health-reform bill attempts to use federal regulation to further restrict abortion access and circumvent the legal rights of women. This amendment goes too far in restricting the kind of private health insurance a woman can buy for herself and her family. This amendment does not trust women or their families to make thoughtful decisions based upon their own faith, or to spend their own money wisely.

November 17, 2009, George Washington University School of Public Health

WASHINGTON - The Stupak/Pitts Amendment was added to the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), which passed the House on November 7th. The amendment bans federal funding for abortions and bars payment of federal subsidies to health insurance products sold in exchanges that cover most medically indicated abortions.

November 18, 2009, WFTS ABC Channel 28 Tampa (FLTV)

SARASOTA, FL -- A new commercial is taking aim at Senators crafting a health care reform bill.

November 15, 2009, St. Petersburg Times

In the vote on health care reform offered by the House Democratic leadership, women were given the status of potted plants. It didn't seem to matter that women generally vote Democratic at substantially higher rates than men, their reproductive health care was sacrificed on the altar (and it was an altar) of getting the thing passed.