Under a Proposed HHS Rule, Insurance Companies Required to Tell Consumers Whether Their Plans Cover Abortion

In November, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a rule, “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Exchange Program Integrity,” that would among other things require insurance companies to inform consumers about whether their plans cover abortions.

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) represented three pro-life pregnancy centers that sued California for requiring pregnancy centers to post a notice promoting abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down this law in October 2018.

The ACLJ said there’s an abortion surcharge buried in Obamacare. The new rule is needed because “insurance companies are failing to separately identify abortion coverage surcharges for customers. The ACLJ submitted a comment this week in support of the proposed rule.

As you know, U.S. citizens – like you – are legally required to obtain a minimum level of insurance coverage. But, while insurance buyers are complying with the current law, current regulations allow insurance companies to ignore it. Instead of complying with clear statutory requirements, qualified health plan (QHP) issuers are failing to separately identify abortion coverage surcharges for customers. As a result, many U.S. taxpayers are unknowingly paying for abortion coverage.

Under the Hyde Amendment, federal tax money can’t be used for abortions, except in cases or rape, incest, or danger to the mother’s life. But Planned Parenthood receives half a billion in federal funding every year. The money might not be marked down for abortions per se, but any money going to the abortion giant indirectly funds killing the unborn.

Photo credit: American Life League (Creative Commons) – Some rights reserved