It aims to eliminate tax payer funded abortions and on Tuesday a Republican-sponsored act passed 238-183 in the House before facing the Senate.
The proposed legislation has big implications for health insurers currently offering abortion coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health care exchange.
The President of Health Insurance Options LLC from Mansfield, Ohio, Michael Pyers said he thinks restricting access will mean clinics or private insurers offering abortions will become more sought after.
“You’re going to have more demand for that service, because the clinics we have, a lot of them are very inexpensive or free,” Pyers said about the current state of abortion coverage.
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Federal funding for abortions is already under a temporary Hyde Amendment ban but Medicaid and Medicare are exempt, unless this bill passes.
“Most insurance companies are going to say ‘we don’t cover it’ if they take it away from every aspect, it’s going to go back to where they have to pay for it themselves,” Pyers said.
“If there’s that much utilization, they’ll drop it.”
The
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2017
Private insurers could still privately insure abortions but would be prohibited from offering tax credits or refunds.
Doctors who are employed by the federal government wouldn’t be allowed to perform abortions.
All federally owned buildings like hospitals, health care facilities and schools operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, would no longer allow abortions.
The only exemptions are in the cases of rape or incest.
Currently, most health providers operating in the ACA market cover abortions.
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