10 Reasons Abortion Must Be Covered By Health Insurance

From Salon.



1. Abortion is legal medical care. "Abortion is a legal right, and it takes medical care to exercise that right," says Judy Waxman, vice-president of health and reproductive rights at the National Women's Law Center. (For their healthcare reform campaign, click here.) The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also chimes in here (PDF).


2. Abortion is common, mainstream medical care. It is one of the most common surgical procedures in America.


3. Abortion is already broadly covered. Between 50 and 85 percent of women who have private insurance, including employer-sponsored plans, have coverage for abortion care.


4. Covering abortion does not raise the abortion rate. As Gloria Feldt points out, "Countries like France, Germany and the Netherlands routinely cover abortion in their national health plans, and have some of the lowest abortion rates in the world."

5. Covering abortion makes abortion safer. Out of pocket, abortion can be expensive, all the more so as the pregnancy progresses. Yet women who take time to "save up" only wind up paying more -- and taking more risk. Feldt: "When abortion is covered, women who choose abortion do so earlier in their pregnancy, and with less risk to their health." Seventy-five thousand women die each year worldwide -- and many times that suffer lifelong disability -- due to unsafe abortions, usually obtained where abortion is illegal or highly restricted. "These are public health issues that also have economic ramifications beyond the cost of abortion," says Jodi Jacobson, senior political editor of RH Reality Check.

6. Covering abortion is what the people want. According to a recent poll by the Mellman Group, voters oppose reform that would prohibit insurance companies from covering abortion. The only subgroup of voters in which a majority favors such a restriction are established antiabortion voters. But even among them, 39 percent oppose restrictions on abortion coverage.

7. Excluding abortion from coverage sends us down a slippery "moral" slope. "Government policies that are based on the theory that private policyholders should not be forced to see their premiums used to cover things they consider immoral would result in a return to the days when contraception was not covered in individual plans for unmarried women and pregnancy was excluded in individual insurance plans and only covered in 'family plans,'" Frances Kissling told Broadsheet, recalling that this was the case when she entered the insurance market. Should people who oppose sex outside of marriage determine who gets covered for childbirth? By the same argument, we could also -- for example -- exclude coverage for HIV and AIDS if contracted through homosexual conduct." To which Katha Pollitt adds: "That many people disapprove of abortion is irrelevant. In a democracy, every citizen sees their tax dollars go for things they think are wrong."

8. And about that "elective" business. Kissling: "Let's have insurance companies hold an annual poll of subscribers and decide on a majority basis what gets covered. Let's especially ask if they want their premiums to pay for obesity-related diseases, smoking-related diseases, STDs, neonatal intensive care where the life expectancy is less than 5 percent and put a cap on care for people over 80."

9. Without coverage, there is no "choice." Sex -- a natural human drive for most -- entails risks. Even with the best prevention measures, there will be unintended pregnancies. Jacobson: "Women must be able to make the choice of whether or not to bear children because unintended pregnancy entails emotional, financial and psychic costs that will be borne only or largely by the woman."

10. Megan Carpentier, former Jezebel writer and current editor of News and Politics of Air America Radio, sums it up thusly: "Why should abortion be covered? Because sometimes abortion is medically necessary, and the government shouldn't be writing regulations from Washington that tell a woman in Kansas when that is. Because exempting cases of rape and incest, as the Hyde Amendment does, means that women who are victims of rape and incest don't get the coverage they're supposed to have anyway, because there's no way to police whether their pregnancies are the result of government-approved circumstances. Because there's no actual government money that's going to get spent on the so-called public option, so it's a question of whether you, with your own money, can get insurance that covers what you choose to have it cover. And because eliminating coverage that currently exists through federal law is just another back-door way for the antiabortion movement to make it more difficult and expensive for women to get a legal medical procedure, since they can't convince women not to have abortions on the 'merits' of their arguments."

From our friends at DayOne.

Please take a few minutes and make this call.


As always, 2to1 is in need of volunteer clinic escorts on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 7:00-10:30 am, at Women's Medical Center at 1725 Broad St, Cranston, RI 02905.
If you are interested and available during these times, please email me at prochoiceri@gmail.com and I will send you the escort guidelines, application, and privacy policy.

Info on Health Care Forums from our Friends at Ocean State Action

Please take a moment to read the following information regarding the Town Hall Meetings and health care reform from our friends at Ocean State Action. There is more information and a petition that you can sign on their website. I attended the Town Hall Meeting hosted by Jim Langevin last night, and I can assure you that the presence of pro-choice progressive citizens would be much appreciated. The RI Right to Life was there last night, and will likely make an appearance tonight. If you would like to meet me there or have any questions, please email me (prochoiceri@gmail.com) and I will respond from my phone immediately.


Come to a Town Hall Meeting this week with Senator Whitehouse or Representative Langevin to show your support for health care reform!

Congress is working on health care reform legislation that would limit the cost of care for everyone, and make sure we all have health insurance we can count on for fair, continuous coverage. While Congress is on vacation, our nation's elected officials are hosting Town Hall Meetings across the country to talk with constituents about the need for real reform, and what it should look like. This week, Senator Whitehouse and Representative Langevin are hosting Town Halls in Rhode Island, and we encourage you to attend to show your support for health care reform. Representative Langevin is hosting a Town Hall Meeting this Wednesday the 19th in Warwick at 6pm at Warwick City Hall (3725 Post Road)Senator Whitehouse is hosting a Community Dinner this Thursday the 20th in West Warwick at 5:30pm at the West Warwick Senior Center (145 Washington Street) Sign up here to attend either, or both, of these Town Halls.

Opponents of health care reform are trying to pack the rooms at Town Halls and drown out the voices of supporters of health care reform. This is why it is so important you attend to make sure our elected officials hear us: we need health care reform, and we need it now! We encourage you to get there as early as you can to ensure you get in. We recommend trying to be there 30 minutes before the Town Hall is scheduled to begin.

We're also looking for volunteers this Saturday the 22nd to hand out information about health care reform at Back-to-School celebrations across the state, which you can also sign up to do here. It's up to us to make the most of this historic opportunity to win health care reform that will lower costs, ensure quality care, provide a choice of a private or public insurance plan, and provide equal access to quality care.

Healthcare Reform Myths and Facts Regarding Abortion/ Abortion Pill Approved In Italy

Maybe this will clear things up a little.

1. MYTH: Health care reform would result in the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade.
REALITY: Currently, the majority of plans already cover basic reproductive health care, including abortion care. In fact, more than 86 percent of employer-based insurance plans cover abortion care. That's why anti-choice groups are working so hard to strip reproductive health from health care reform — in order to strip women of coverage they currently have.

2. MYTH: Taxpayer money would be used to pay for abortions in the public plan.
REALITY: Opponents of reproductive health care are trying to confuse people into thinking that the public plan is a government-funded health plan like Medicaid or Medicare — it is not. The public health insurance plan would operate like any private insurance plan would. It would be funded and paid for by private individual premiums, in the same way a private insurance plan is. Therefore, there is no reason to treat any coverage issue, including abortion coverage, differently in the public health insurance plan than in private plans.

3. MYTH: Health care reform will "mandate" abortion coverage.
REALITY: Nothing in any of the current health care reform bills mandates abortion coverage — or any other type of health care service. Opponents of women's health and health care reform are trying to hijack health care reform to push for unprecedented prohibitions on abortion coverage in the private marketplace


From the Feminist Majority Foundation:

Medical Abortion Pill Mifepristone Approved in Italy

The Italian Pharmaceuticals Agency (AIFA) has approved mifepristone, also known as RU-486, for use through the seventh week of pregnancy. Last week's ruling stipulates that the drug can be administered by doctors in a hospital but can not be sold in pharmacies, according to the BBC. As the host country of the Vatican, Italy has long faced an especially contentious abortion debate. The Roman Catholic Church denounced AIFA's decision. Monsignor Elio Sgreccia, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Academy for Life, announced, "There will be excommunication for the doctor, the woman, and anyone who encourages [mifepristone's] use," reports Reuters. Accessibility of mifepristone remains unclear because about 70 percent of Italian doctors are "conscientious objectors" who will not provide abortion services, according to the health ministry.AIFA acknowledged the debate surrounding abortion in its report, noting that "the task of protecting the well-being of citizens...must take precedence over personal convictions," reports the AP. Mifepristone has been available on a limited, experimental basis in Italy since 2006, according to the Associated Press. Surgical abortion through the end of the first trimester, and in limited cases through 24 weeks of pregnancy, has been legal in Italy since 1978.

CONFIRMED!

Thank you to Emily's List for this great image.

NOW Outraged at House Vote on Abortion Coverage; Sonya Sotomayor on Roe; Buffer Zone Upheld in MA!!!!

NOW: Women's Rights Traded Away -- July 31, 2009

NOW is outraged to learn that the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed an amendment excluding abortion services from the "essential" health benefits package as defined by the government. Under this amendment, subsidies used to help pay insurance premiums for low-income people could not be used for abortion services. The New York Times reports that "insurers must use money from private sources to pay for any abortions.""Reproductive health care is a fundamental right. Any health care plan that does not cover the full range of reproductive services, including abortion, discriminates against women," said NOW President Terry O'Neill. "Once again, our representatives are giving in to the right wing by trading away women's rights. Well, I have a message for them, our reproductive rights are not theirs to give away."O'Neill noted that a majority of voters support coverage for abortion services, with only about a quarter opposed to using tax dollars to pay for abortion. In addition, a recent study found that most people in the U.S. with employer-based insurance currently have coverage for abortion. "Don't low-income people deserve the same level of coverage as other people in this country?" asked O'Neill. "Our lawmakers should be ashamed of themselves for perpetuating class-based and gender-based biases as they attempt to 'reform' our broken health care system."

Sonya Sotomayor says Roe is settled law..let's hope she means it.

In other amazing news, the 35 foot buffer zone law was upheld in nearby MA. This buffer zone was established in 2007 to ensure safe access to clinics and protect women and staff from harassment.

July 13, 2009

Law Protecting Clinic Buffer Zone Upheld
The US 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Massachusetts law on Friday, allowing a 35-foot safety buffer zone between protestors and abortion clinic entrances. The law, established in 2007, protects clinic patients and staff from harassment.

Five anti-choice protesters originally filed the lawsuit on the grounds that the safety zones violate their right to free speech. In 2008, US District Judge Joseph Tauro rejected their request and they filed the most recent appeal.

The Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled that the law does not infringe on protestors' free speech rights and applies to all protestors no matter their viewpoint. The law is described as "content-neutral," reported the Boston Globe. The ruling also stated that the law "represents a permissible response by the Massachusetts Legislature to what it reasonably perceived as a significant threat to public safety."

"For too long, patients and staff had to endure in-your-face screaming and harassment just to get to doctor's appointments," Angus McQuilken, vice president of public affairs for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, told the Boston Globe in 2008 after the original suit was filed. "This 35-foot zone is more than reasonable."

Media Resources: Boston Globe 2/21/08, 7/10/09; Feminist Daily Newswire 2/26/08

Info on medical abortion in the US from AP News.

Abortion pill used in a quarter of US abortions

Roughly a fourth of American women getting early abortions last year did so with drugs rather than surgery, statistics show, as a new study reported improved safety in using the so-called "abortion pill."
Some experts predict the percentage of such "medical abortions," which offer more privacy than surgical termination at an abortion clinic or hospital, will rise even more due to the new study.
The research, done at Planned Parenthood clinics across the country, shows that a new way of giving pills to induce abortion virtually eliminated the risk for a rare but dangerous infection.
"This is the first really huge documentation of how safe and effective medical abortion is," said Dr. Beverly Winikoff, a professor of family health and population at Columbia University. "The technology is very good and very well used in this country, and probably will be used more and more."
Two pills are used to induce an abortion. The primary drug, Mifeprex, was first approved in the U.S. in 2000. Use has risen steadily, even though manufacturer Danco Laboratories LLC of New York hasn't promoted it and the drug can only be obtained at a clinic or doctor's office, not through a pharmacy. Sales rose 16.5 percent last year, when about 184,000 American women used Mifeprex.
Medical abortions now account for about a quarter of early abortions, according to company spokeswoman Abby Long. At Planned Parenthood, the biggest provider of medical abortions, they amount to 32 percent of early terminations.
The group's study analyzed medical abortions at Planned Parenthood centers between 2005 and mid-2008 - about 228,000 cases. It found the abortion pill was about 98.5 percent effective and that changes in how the drugs were given reduced risk of a serious infection from barely 1 in 1,000 cases to 0.06 in 1,000.
The results are reported in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.
The procedure, which works during the first nine weeks of pregnancy, involves swallowing Mifeprex, known chemically as mifepristone, at a doctor's office. Originally known as RU-486, the pill causes an embryo to detach from the uterine wall. A second pill, misoprostol, is used 24 to 48 hours later to cause contractions and push the embryo out of the uterus.
These drugs are different from Plan B, which is taken within a couple days of contraceptive failure or unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy from occurring.
Originally, the procedure involved inserting the misoprostol pill into the vagina where the medicine was absorbed. But by the end of 2005, four American women and one Canadian had died of a rare bacterial infection afterward, spurring concern among providers and criticism by abortion opponents.
So in April 2006, Planned Parenthood told its 300 clinics offering the procedure to instead have patients put the misoprostol pill in their mouth and let it dissolve.
Some clinics also began providing a week's course of antibiotics to avoid infection; the others tested women and treated any with sexually transmitted diseases. In 2008, all the clinics started giving patients antibiotics.
"We decided we needed to make a safe procedure even safer," said the study's lead researcher, nurse practitioner Mary Fjerstad.
By the study's last six months, serious infections had declined to one-16th of the original rate.
"I think that providers are going to be pretty impressed with the data," said Dr. Beth Jordan, medical director of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, which plans to highlight the findings to doctors, nurse practitioners and pharmacists at its annual meeting in September.
Given that 87 percent of U.S. counties have no abortion provider, Jordan said the findings might encourage some primary care doctors to offer abortion using the pills.
"But I don't think it's going to open the floodgates," she said.
In October, the National Abortion Federation, representing 400 centers that provide more than half of abortions in the U.S. and Canada, will review the findings and decide whether to make changes accordingly. Federation President Vicki Saporta said current guidelines allow putting misoprostol in the cheek to dissolve, swallowing it, or inserting it in the vagina, which more than a third of her member clinics do.
Saporta said abortion opponents "have been misleading people into thinking that medical abortion is unsafe," but the study proves the procedure is safe. The cost is $400, only slightly less than the median cost for an early term surgical abortion.
Since approval in 2000, there have been six deaths from sepsis, a bloodstream infection, among the more than 1.1 million American women who have used Mifeprex, most recently one in July 2007. That's a death rate of less than 1 in 167,000, according to the maker, and less than 0.1 percent of patients have needed transfusions.
Misoprostol, which is officially approved in the U.S. for preventing stomach ulcers, is sold under the brand name Cytotec and made by Pfizer Inc.
Winikoff and Saporta both raised concerns about giving a full course of antibiotic treatment to all women to prevent very few infections - unlike the brief preventive dose given with surgical abortions. They said that could trigger a rare allergic reaction, add to the problem of antibiotic resistance and add to the cost of the procedure - making it unaffordable in developing countries.
Chris Gacek, a senior fellow at the anti-abortion Family Research Council, said he wasn't surprised by the increasing use of Mifeprex.
"I don't think at this point we're going to do anything" to try to limit its use, he said. "It's hard to know whether this increases the (total) number of abortions."
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On the Net: www.nejm.org
Mifeprex site: www.earlyoptionpill.com