Kaiser Family Foundation
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A new issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines health reform and access to coverage for abortion services, a subject that has become one of the most discussed elements of the reform debate. The paper explains current law regarding abortion coverage, discusses the treatment of coverage for abortion services under the major health reform bills under consideration in Congress, and explores the possible impact of the House-passed legislation on public and private coverage for abortion services.
Under the House bill, 94% of the 12.4 million uninsured women of reproductive age have incomes that would likely qualify them for federal assistance in obtaining health coverage through Medicaid or the new health insurance exchange, and thus would likely be affected by the abortion coverage provisions. The brief breaks down these estimates state-by state, and also provides background on abortion in the U.S. and coverage of abortion services under current law and practice.