There are also rallies and protests being held all around the country to tell the Senate and Congress that women will NOT be left out of health care/health insurance reform. Sadly my day is far too booked with meetings for me to hike it into the Loop for the rally. And if you know me, you know it must be a busy day for me to miss a rally!
So what is the Stupak amendment?
Under the Stupak amendment, millions of women would lose benefits that they currently have and millions more would be prohibited from getting the kind of private sector health care coverage that most women have today.
The Stupak amendment prohibits any coverage of abortion in the public option and prohibits anyone receiving a federal subsidy from purchasing a health insurance plan that includes abortion. It also prohibits private health insurance plans from offering through the exchange a plan that includes abortion coverage to both subsidized and unsubsidized individuals.
Realistically, the actual effect of the Stupak amendment is to ban abortion coverage across the entire exchange, for women with both subsidized and unsubsidized coverage.
Most immediately, the exchange would offer coverage to many of the 17 million women, 18–64, who are uninsured. It would also be a source of coverage for the 5.7 million women who are now purchasing coverage in the individual market. In most of these cases, women will lose abortion coverage that they currently have — in the current private insurance market, the majority of health insurance plans include abortion.
Currently the Senate bill does NOT have a Stupak-like amendment, but Senators Nelson (D-NB) and Hatch (R-UT) plan to introduce one. Today we say HELL NO! to this idea!
How to get involved:
* Center for Reproductive Rights has a list of resources
* Planned Parenthood's Resource page
* NARAL's Day of Action page
* NOW's Stop Stupak page and an update on Sen. Mikulski's Women's Health Amendment
So what is the Stupak amendment?
Under the Stupak amendment, millions of women would lose benefits that they currently have and millions more would be prohibited from getting the kind of private sector health care coverage that most women have today.
The Stupak amendment prohibits any coverage of abortion in the public option and prohibits anyone receiving a federal subsidy from purchasing a health insurance plan that includes abortion. It also prohibits private health insurance plans from offering through the exchange a plan that includes abortion coverage to both subsidized and unsubsidized individuals.
Realistically, the actual effect of the Stupak amendment is to ban abortion coverage across the entire exchange, for women with both subsidized and unsubsidized coverage.
Most immediately, the exchange would offer coverage to many of the 17 million women, 18–64, who are uninsured. It would also be a source of coverage for the 5.7 million women who are now purchasing coverage in the individual market. In most of these cases, women will lose abortion coverage that they currently have — in the current private insurance market, the majority of health insurance plans include abortion.
Currently the Senate bill does NOT have a Stupak-like amendment, but Senators Nelson (D-NB) and Hatch (R-UT) plan to introduce one. Today we say HELL NO! to this idea!
How to get involved:
* Center for Reproductive Rights has a list of resources
* Planned Parenthood's Resource page
* NARAL's Day of Action page
* NOW's Stop Stupak page and an update on Sen. Mikulski's Women's Health Amendment