“H.R. 7 threatens insurance coverage for a safe, legal medical procedure, care that one in three women will receive in her lifetime.”
New York, NY—Late yesterday, as they were losing support from their constituents and fellow House members, anti-choice representatives abandoned efforts to pass a dangerous and unpopular 20-week abortion ban.
Subsequently, and at the eleventh hour, they resurrected an old piece of legislation: A bill that would dismantle insurance coverage for abortion. Just like its previous incarnations, this bill shows a reckless disregard for the health and well-being of millions of people. Physicians for Reproductive Health Board Chair Nancy L. Stanwood, MD, MPH, explains:
“H.R. 7 threatens millions of women by effectively stopping insurance coverage for abortion. My colleagues and I see all too many cases of the suffering experienced by women who can’t afford abortion care, either because they don’t have insurance or because their insurance won’t cover this safe, legal, vital medical procedure. This bill is so dangerous that it could even take away benefits from women whose plans had previously covered abortion care.
“From the point of view of physicians, this last-minute switch looks like a cynical attempt to wrest a win out of a losing situation—all at the expense of the well-being of the women we care for every day. One minute they champion a later abortion ban, and when they see that the public won’t stand for that, they pivot to push a ban on insurance coverage. Whether it’s by narrowing the window, or making care unaffordable, they are determined to take away women’s autonomy and decision-making when it comes to accessing needed medical care. It would be absurd if it weren’t so dangerous.”
“H.R. 7 threatens insurance coverage for a safe, legal medical procedure, care that one in three women will receive in her lifetime, women we know and love. A woman’s health insurance should meet all her health needs and cover a full range of medical procedures, including abortion. For her to be able to make a real decision based on what’s best for her and her family, she needs to be able to afford her care. I urge Congress to stop this deeply harmful and uncaring bill in its tracks.”
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