# Abortion coverage should not be holding up the healthcare bill **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 7, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369 "2009-12-07T21:42:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/1 "2009-12-07T21:42:48Z")
I’m a staunch advocate of abortion rights. I’m also a staunch realist. Perhaps that’s why I am often baffled by politicians. I can’t for the life of me understand why the healthcare legislation [appears to be stalling over abortion coverage.](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091207/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul) The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of women who get abortions [never bill their insurance companies, anyway.](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/politics/09abortion.html) > [@](#): > > Not many women who undergo abortions file private insurance claims, perhaps to avoid leaving a record. A 2003 study by the Alan Guttmacher Institute found that 13 percent of abortions were billed directly to insurance companies. Only about half of those who receive insurance coverage from their employers have coverage of abortion in any event, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Let the conservatives have their little victory here, chalk up one favor owed in your quid pro quo column (“…remember how we let you have the abortion exception? Well, now you need to pay us back by giving ground on item X in the healthcare bill…”), and get the damn thing passed already. It’s called compromise, and trying to do something that benefits the most people. What am I missing in the bigger picture here? Is this just a pissing contest, so both sides look to their constituency like they’re doing something? Or is there really something major on the line here? ---
**Author:** ![kmgraves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kmgraves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kmgraves)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/2 "2009-12-07T21:48:17Z")
Your right, abortion coverage should not be holding up the healthcare bill. They should drop the abortion language and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/3 "2009-12-07T22:10:11Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > Abortion coverage should not be holding up the healthcare bill Nor Should Ben Nelson. He needs to realize that he is elected by Nebraska Democrats, rather than Nebraskans in general. Then he needs to start voting like a Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/4 "2009-12-07T22:53:50Z")
I just got an email from one of my senators, who I had written to encourage to vote in favor of the bill. > [@](#): > > Providing every American with genuine access to quality, affordable health care is one of my highest priorities as a member of the U.S. Senate. Unfortunately, the health care bill we’re debating right now flunks it’s most important test, which is reducing costs - the cost of health care for the American people, and the cost to your government. I voted against moving forward on debating the Senate health care bill because it will cost $2.5 trillion, raise health insurance premiums for the average family, cut Medicare by nearly half a trillion dollars and raise taxes by half a trillion dollars. This bill is historic in its arrogance - arrogance that we in Congress are wise enough to take this complex health system that is 16 percent of our economy and serves 300 million Americans and think we can write a 2,000-page bill and change it all - all at once. We have to start over to get it right. > > The best way forward on health care is to work step-by-step to reduce costs and re-earn the trust of the American people. Instead of a trillion-dollar, 2,000-page comprehensive health care bill centered around a government-run plan, as a first step we should allow small business to pool their resources to reduce health care costs and increase access to affordable coverage. We should reform medical malpractice laws so runaway, junk lawsuits against doctors don’t continue to drive up the cost of health care. We should allow individual Americans to purchase health care across state lines like they can with their car insurance today to increase competition. We should enact meaningful insurance market reforms, such as making sure that people aren’t disqualified from health coverage because of preexisting conditions. Additionally we can expand Health Savings Accounts and emphasize wellness and prevention care. Well, at least I know who I’m _not_ voting for when that seat comes up for re-election. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/5 "2009-12-08T01:36:55Z")
> [@kmgraves](#): > > Your right, abortion coverage should not be holding up the healthcare bill. They should drop the abortion language and move on. Wasn’t that the problem in the first place, for some pro-lifers? That originally abortion wasn’t specifically mentioned, meaning doctors could treat patients and abortion could be covered? > [@toadspittle](#): > > The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of women who get abortions [never bill their insurance companies, anyway.](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/politics/09abortion.html) That’s not including women who have no insurance, or those whose policies don’t cover it. From your link > [@](#): > > Not many women who undergo abortions file private insurance claims, perhaps to avoid leaving a record. A 2003 study by the Alan Guttmacher Institute found that 13 percent of abortions were billed directly to insurance companies. Only about half of those who receive insurance coverage from their employers have coverage of abortion in any event, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. ---
**Author:** ![DarrellBray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@DarrellBray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrellBray)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/6 "2009-12-08T01:59:48Z")
Trouble is, there are any number of democrats - at least in certain places - who Don’t support abortion rights. If you have a Senator - who is a democrat - but who knows that his particular constituency has enough ‘pro-lifers’ that he can gain some political capital by getting up on a soap box over this particular issue, he will. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/7 "2009-12-08T02:23:59Z")
I don’t get it. What does an abortion cost? Three or four hundred bucks? That doesn’t even meet a deductible. I can’t imagine that either way this provision would affect anymore than a handful of women. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/8 "2009-12-08T02:33:28Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Well, at least I know who I’m _not_ voting for when that seat comes up for re-election. I’m for healthcare reform. It’s badly needed. However, I have to agree with your Senator. The proposed legislation is too big, too unwieldy and moving too fast. The Democrats blew it, the Republicans played spoilers, and Obama is turning out to be ineffective as a true leader. ---
**Author:** ![StoutHearted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@StoutHearted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StoutHearted)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/9 "2009-12-08T02:37:53Z")
I fail to see how a **legal** procedure should be stricken. Why not deny coverage for triple bypasses or appendectomies while we’re at it? ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/10 "2009-12-08T02:47:34Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I don’t get it. What does an abortion cost? Three or four hundred bucks? That doesn’t even meet a deductible. I can’t imagine that either way this provision would affect anymore than a handful of women. Exactly. Granted for some that is a lot of money, but it isn’t so much that most people couldn’t somehow scrape it together even when they are in a pinch. And if you couldn’t scrape it together, aren’t there places that will provide abortions at little to no cost? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/11 "2009-12-08T02:49:41Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > What am I missing in the bigger picture here? Is this just a pissing contest, so both sides look to their constituency like they’re doing something? Possibly that the amendment the Senate will debate was offered by Sen. Ben Nelson (_ **D** _), Nebraska. [cite](http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/07/senate.health.care/) _A similar dynamic could exist in the Senate, with anti-abortion Democrats preventing final approval of the health care bill if they don’t like the abortion language._ ---
**Author:** ![dragoncat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@dragoncat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragoncat)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/12 "2009-12-08T02:52:31Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > The Democrats blew it, the Republicans played spoilers, and Obama is turning out to be ineffective as a true leader. Obama turns out to be ineffective because of the health care bill? So far he’s come closer to passing health care reform than any president. His knuckling under to the military and intensifying the occupation of Afghanistan, well that is another story, but then that’s not the subject of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/13 "2009-12-08T03:01:50Z")
So, ALL of the Republicans and a sorry few of the Democrats are thuggish neanderthals who don’t know how to say anything but “No” and it’s OBAMA that’s ineffective? Doesn’t the fact that one entire whole party has committed to being nothing but a speed bump ON EVERYTHING count for anything? ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/14 "2009-12-08T03:14:07Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > So, ALL of the Republicans and a sorry few of the Democrats are thuggish neanderthals who don’t know how to say anything but “No” and it’s OBAMA that’s ineffective? Doesn’t the fact that one entire whole party has committed to being nothing but a speed bump ON EVERYTHING count for anything? Not if you believe the health care bill is a big mistake. I’m of the opinion that abortion is a handy thing to cancel the bill on, but it’s probably not the main issue. I just wish people who were against this bill would say why. It’s too big, it’s unmanagable, and it’s too damn expensive. With all of the money being spent that we don’t have, flushing this bill would be the most prudent thing our government could do right now. /slight hijack On abortion, I have a question… does anyone know how the abortion pill has been working in Europe? Any major side effects? A pill has to be cheaper than an operation. And is the reason why the abortion pill is not available in this country the result of politics or real concerns of side effects? /slight hijack ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/15 "2009-12-08T03:24:40Z")
Okay, kind of true. I was severely disappointed when they went straight to public option and blew off single payer. Fuck the insurance companies… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/16 "2009-12-08T03:25:59Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > And is the reason why the abortion pill is not available in this country the result of politics or real concerns of side effects? > > /slight hijack It is available in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/17 "2009-12-08T04:16:04Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > N It’s too big, it’s unmanagable, and it’s too damn expensive. With all of the money being spent that we don’t have, flushing this bill would be the most prudent thing our government could do right now. It reduces the future deficits, and thus leads to less spending that we don’t have. As for big, I don’t think a meaningful healthcare bill is likely to be small. I don’t know what ‘unmanagable’ means in this context. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/18 "2009-12-08T04:25:51Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I don’t know what ‘unmanagable’ means in this context. He means that there are too many Republicans in office to allow America to oversee UHC like every other country in the world manages to do. I think there is something about hair combed to within an inch of its life that robs the brain underneath of intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/19 "2009-12-08T04:30:48Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > He means that there are too many Republicans in office to allow America to oversee UHC like every other country in the world manages to do. I think there is something about hair combed to within an inch of its life that robs the brain underneath of intelligence. Meh. Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security get along alright despite occasional Republican grumbling, I suspect UHC will do alright as well, for similar reasons. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369/20 "2009-12-08T04:36:09Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Meh. Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security get along alright despite occasional Republican grumbling, I suspect UHC will do alright as well, for similar reasons. They’ll be OK as long as the govt doesn’t get it’s hands on them 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion-coverage-should-not-be-holding-up-the-healthcare-bill/520369.md?page=2)