Roundup: Is Abortion a Deal Breaker?, Righting the Discriminatory Wrongs in Health Care Reform, Too Late for Nadya Sulyeman

Is Abortion Access A Deal-Breaker In Health Care Reform Efforts?

In The Hill's Congress Blog yesterday the question, "Could abortion be a deal-breaker in health care reform?" was posed to a group of legislators, advocates, and commentators. While the newest incarnation of The Affordable Healthcare For America Act does address public funding for abortion, it also explicitly states that this bill cannot override any existing federal and state laws regulating abortion access and coverage.

None-the-less, anti-choice advocates answer the above question by painting scenarios in which their worst nightmares will most certainly come true. Senior Vice President for the Family Research Council, Tom McCluskey warns:

Now that both Chambers have released their bills one things is clear - they both include federal funding of abortion. Such a move would turn American taxpayers into the permanent funding stream of the abortion industry and guarantee that abortions will increase.

And Douglas Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee doesn't even bother to remember that Roe v. Wade and The Hyde Amendment are still federal laws. He goes right down the "all elective abortions will be paid for" road:

Page 110 of the new bill explicitly authorizes the public plan to pay for all elective abortions. As CRS as confirmed, all funds spent by the public plan, a federal agency program, will be federal funds. So this will be direct federal funding of elective abortion, pure and simple.

Suzanne Poppema, a long time physician and abortion access advocate reminds us that,

None of the bills Congress is considering would fund abortions with taxpayer money, or expand access to abortion beyond the coverage women currently have. The majority of Americans support this compromise, just as a majority of Americans believe women should have access to safe, legal abortion. 

What's Good for Women's Health Is Good for The Nation's Health

And, according to the blog of SEIU, the just released version of health care reform legislation includes measures that would put an end to the much of the discriminatory practices women face at the hands of insurance companies. Not only would domestic violence be disallowed as a "pre-existing condition" classification and therefore used as a reason to deny coverage to women but:

• Gender rating would become illegal so that insurance companies would not be allowed to chage women more than men for the same coverage. 
• Charging women more or denying coverage on the basis of a "pre-existing condition" such as pregnancy, or a previous c-section would also be against the law.
•  Maternity care services would be included in the essential benefits package in the Health Insurance Exchange (a marketplace for those who do not have insurance through their employers). And, according to the information sheet distributed by Sen. Pelosi's office, "over time plans outside the Exchange would be required to do so as well."

In addition, says SEIU, there's this amazing news:

Both the department of Health & Human Services and the Center for Disease Control will now have an office dedicated to studying women's health issues.

Is it too much to ask that these new offices dedicated to women's health ensure that racial health disparities are acknowledged such that any heath issues studied or researched are always broken down along these lines?

Newest Findings on Multiple Birth and IVF Come Too Late for Nadya Suyleman

According to the Daily Women's Health Policy Report, new findings from a study released in the New England Journal of Medicine, reveal that women who are implanted with one embryo are just as likely to give birth as women who receive two. Women who do receive two, however, are more likely to give birth to multiple babies as compared to women who receive one embryo - 28% as compared to 2.3%. 

Assisted reproductive technologies are a boon in many ways but because we are still learning about the full impact of these technologies, we sadly see women like Nadya Suleyman used almost as guinea pigs by a system overpowered by medical advancement, without full regard for what these technological advancements and decisions may mean for women's lives. 

More reproductive and sexual health and rights news from around the web...

10/29

Foreign adoptions -- Agency unfairly demonized Minneapolis Star Tribune

How to Burn a Pro-Choice Halloween Effigy In 10 Easy Steps Washington City Paper

Channeling Oprah: The One Thing I Know for Sure  Blog for Choice

NARAL Pro-Choice NY Mails For Dede  New York Daily News

Misremembering Dr. Tiller: How Law & Order Got It Wrong HuffPo

Birth Control Used to Be Utterly Terrifying Gizmodo.com

The History of Birth Control Newsweek

Unexpected pregnancies researched Etownian

Intrauterine contraception most popular long-term solution for Europeans World News

Limited access to emergency contraceptives Cherwell Online

A look back at natural family planning BusinessWorld Online

Pro-Life Democrats Hold 40 Votes to Help Pass Health Care Reform in House Christian News Wire

Three Pro-life Advocates Arrested at Unveiling Christian News Wire

Pro-Life or Anti-Choice? Amador Ledger-Dispatch

Pro-life group calls for boycott of cosmetics company  Catholic News Agency

Pro-Life News: House Health Care Bill Pro-Abortion, Obama, Gallup, New Jersey ... LifeNews.com

Pro-life supporters gain strength Suffolk News-Herald

Graphic Obama-Themed Abortion Display Clashes Catholic News Agency

I am not trying to kill health reform; abortion remains key concern The Hill

Pro-abortion news misleading Tulsa Beacon

Package evacuates abortion clinic WTNH

Stupak Town Hall Video: I Would Ultimately Vote for Abortion-Expanding Health Bill Catholic Online

Bishop Tobin asks Rep. Kennedy to Talk after Abortion/Healthcare Remarks Lifesite

Kan. medical board won't say why top staffer left The Associated Press

Planned Parenthood sues over abortion, stem cell petitions St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Supports Maintaining Status Quo Reuters

Lawmaker Tries to Have It Both Ways on Health Care Reform and Abortion? FOXNews

Barriers to abortion rise, even in Brookline Boston Globe

Choice: Late Term Abortion Feminists for Choice

Judge puts off start of abortion-information gathering Tulsa World

10/30

Campaign urges more adoptions in Tennessee The Tennessean

Battle of Ideas: a matter of choice Times Online

Flathead Family Planning still open Daily Inter Lake

White House Changes Its Rhetoric on Abortion Funding in Health Bill  CNSNews.com

Teen Mother Speaks Out WSET

House Faces Fight With Industry, Abortion Foes Over Health Plan Bloomberg

Abortion: Debates on Sproul Plaza Daily Californian