@washingtonpost falsely claimed that health care bill "expands public funding for abortion"

Parker falsely claimed that health care bill "expands public funding for abortion" http://mediamatters.org/items/201003240004 In her Washington Post column, Kathleen Parker became the latest conservative media figure to falsely claim the Senate bill "expands public funding for abortion." In fact, the bill bans federal funding for abortion except in cases currently allowed under the Hyde amendment: rape, incest, and conditions that endanger the life of the pregnant woman. Parker falsehood: Health care bill "expands public funding for abortion" Parker: Stupak a "backstabber" who voted "for a health-care bill that expands public funding for abortion." In a March 24 Washington Post column, Parker called Rep. Bart Stupak a "backstabber," and claimed "he is vilified and will forever be remembered as the guy who Stupaked health-care reform and the pro-life movement" for voting "for a health-care bill that expands public funding for abortion." Parker called Stupak's decision "a lesson in human frailty. In a matter of hours, he went from representing the majority of Americans who don't want public money spent on abortion to leading the army on the other side." Fact: Health care bill still does not contain federal funding for abortion Senate bill forbids use of federal subsidies for abortion services except in cases allowed by the Hyde amendment. The health care reform bill passed by the Senate states that if a "qualified health plan" offered under the health insurance exchange provides coverage of abortion services for which public funding is banned, "the issuer of the plan shall not use any amount attributable" to the federal subsidies created under the bill "for purposes of paying for such services." Public funding is currently banned by the Hyde amendment for all abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the pregnant woman is in danger. Senate bill requires insurance plans that cover abortion to segregate funds to ensure that federal funds are not used to pay for abortions. The Senate bill requires issuers to "collect from each enrollee" in plans that cover abortions a "separate payment" for "an amount equal to the actuarial value of the coverage of" abortion services. All such funds are deposited into a separate account used by the issuer to pay for abortion services; federal funds and the remaining premium payments are used to pay for all other services. Additionally, as Slate.com's Timothy Noah noted, the Senate bill requires that "every insurance exchange must offer at least one abortion-free health plan," so people who do not want to pay the "fee" "can simply choose a different health plan offered through the exchange, one that doesn't cover abortions." Current law permits abortion coverage through Medicaid so long as funds are segregated. According to a November 1, 2009, study by the Guttmacher Institute, 17 states provide coverage under Medicaid for "all or most medically necessary abortions," not just abortions in cases of life endangerment, rape, and incest. Those states "us[e] their own funds" -- not federal funds -- "to pay" for the procedures. Therefore, in 17 states, Medicaid, a federally subsidized health care program, covers abortions in circumstances in which federal money is prohibited from being spent on abortion. ABC World News "Truth Squad": "[T]he bill makes it clear there can be no federal money for abortion." On March 4, The ABC World News "Truth Squad" investigated Rep. Bart Stupak's [D-MI] claim that "the federal government will directly subsidize abortions" in the Senate bill and found "the bill makes it clear there can be no federal money for abortion." White House: "[T]he legislation as written maintains current law." In an introduction to the language of the executive order, the White House noted [emphasis added]: Today, the President announced that he will be issuing an executive order after the passage of the health insurance reform law that will reaffirm its consistency with longstanding restrictions on the use of federal funds for abortion. While the legislation as written maintains current law, the executive order provides additional safeguards to ensure that the status quo is upheld and enforced, and that the health care legislation's restrictions against the public funding of abortions cannot be circumvented. Contact: The Washington Post The Washington Post The Washington Post 1150 15th St. NW Washington, DC 20071 http://twitter.com/washingtonpost

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