Abortion: another encroachment on choice
- March 27, 2010
- 2 comments
- Posted in Family, Health Insurance, Latest Posts
What does an abortion typically cost? Here are the average prices, according to the National Abortion Federation: During the first trimester–$350 in a clinic and $500 in a doctor’s office. At 16 weeks–$650 in a clinic and $700 in a doctor’s office. After the 20th week, the average tops $1,000. Planned Parenthood puts the cost in the first trimester at $350 to $900, without complications.
In most states, these costs are generally covered by the typical group or individual health insurance policy. Five states prohibit it (Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri North Dakota and Oklahoma).
Now there’s a new prohibition waiting in the wings. It’s for women buying coverage through the new health insurance exchanges, authorized by the Affordable Care Act signed by the president last week. Subsidized policies sold on the exchanges won’t be allowed to cover abortion. That satisfies the prohibition on using federal funds for the procedure.
Insurers can sell an abortion rider separately—using a separate payment system—to people who want it. But what woman expects to have an abortion? What parent expects a daughter to need one? Demand for an abortion rider will be nil. As a result, insurers won’t have any incentive to go to the expense of offering one.
The majority of employee group plans cover abortion—handling it like any other medical procedure. So the prohibition hits only the women who will buy their policies on the exchanges.
As a practical matter, the rule won’t change very much. Most abortions are paid for out of pocket anyway, because the woman is uninsured, or the cost is less than the deductible on her policy, or because she has Medicaid, which doesn’t cover abortion either. But to feminists like me, it’s the principle of the thing. Every encroachment limits our legal choice.
Tags: abortion, affordable health care, buying health insurance, health insurance exchanges
This is very frustrating because I also believe in individual choice. Will the policies at least cover birth control- especially long term and highly effective IUDs like Mirena and implantable rods like Implanon? Also what about the morning after pill? As always I prefer to promote avoiding unwanted pregnancies by using effective birth control. Condoms and/or taking the pill every day allow for too much patient error!
Nothing in the law prevents policies from covering pills or devices used for birth control.