Government Report Confirms Bishops’ Concern on Broken Promises on Abortion Coverage

Government Report Confirms Bishops’ Concern on Broken Promises on Abortion Coverage

Cardinal O’Malley: Investigative agency finds over a thousand health plans covering abortion on demand; breaking promise of "separation" of abortion funds from tax dollars. Knights of Columbus demand that Abortion-related abuses under Affordable Care Act require corrective action

WASHINGTON—A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) “confirms the U.S. bishops’ longstanding concern about abortion coverage” in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), said Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The report, “Health Insurance Exchanges: Coverage of Non-excepted Abortion Services by Qualified Health Plans,” was recently issued by the GAO, an independent reviewing agency of the U.S. government. 

Despite repeated claims by the administration and other supporters that the ACA would not promote abortion, the report identified over a thousand health plans eligible for federal premium subsidies that cover elective abortions. On five state exchanges, every plan covers such abortions in 2014; in another three large states, 95 to 98 percent of the plans do so. While state insurance departments are supposedly tasked by the federal government with ensuring that these health plans maintain segregated accounts for abortion funds to keep them separate from federal funds, the report indicates that this is not taking place.

 “Surveys have shown that most Americans do not want elective abortion in their health coverage, and do not want their tax dollars to fund abortions.  Their wishes are not being followed, and it can be difficult or impossible for them to find out whether those wishes are respected even in their own health plan,” said Cardinal O'Malley.

Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, said the following upon the release of the GAO report, "Addressing a joint session of Congress in 2009, he (President Obama) said: ‘And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up — under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place.’" Supreme Knight Anderson continued, "...the GAO report reveals that as with so many of the promises of ObamaCare, this assurance too has proven patently false and adds yet another broken promise to the troubled — and troubling — legacy of this law." The Supreme Knight concluded this statement with the following, "But as a country, perhaps it is time for us to consider what future there can be for a law whose signature achievement has been the magnitude of its broken promises.”

Arizona State Deputy Larry Becker urges every Knight to consider life issues as a paramount test this election season for each candidate vying for office. He said, "We have to use the power of the ballot to help break the tide of broken promises and to protect every life from natural conception to natural death." Further, he concludes, "And, we should pray, as prayer is the ultimate power that should support all of our pro-life activities -- pray for life personally and with your families."