HCR Passes

[innerSpaceman]

GD, I was surprised during this whole debate to find that abortions are covered at all - because I presumed they were considered elective. Apparently, not so.

So the issue is, if insurance companies cover a legal procedure as a medical necessity, who is the federal government to decide that particular legal procedure should be singled out for exclusion?

And NA, also anticipating Leo's response and elaborating on GD's - with auto insurance, you are free to not buy it ... and not drive. You will have no such opt out of medical insurance. You will be required to buy it in the same way you are required to pre-pay your income taxes before they are due (in that both happen to be, imo, unconstitutional - but you have to do it anyway or face big trouble).

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

GD, I was surprised during this whole debate to find that abortions are covered at all - because I presumed they were considered elective. Apparently, not so.

It's shifted around a bit. Hyde was passed right after Roe v. Wade was decided. It was initially written to prevent Medicare from covering abortions except in cases of health risk to the mother, rape, and incest. It was later rewritten to remove the health risk exception. And then again rewritten to remove the rape and incest exception. But in 1993, those exceptions were written back in and that's where we stand now.