New Pa. Law Will Prohibit Obamacare Insurance Coverage For Most Abortions
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett has signed a bill that will prohibit coverage of most abortions by insurance policies to be offered through a federally run insurance "exchange" being set up as part of the new federal health care law.
Supporters say the new law allows states to take such action, and Stephen Miskin, spokesman for the Pennsylvania House majority leader, says the reason for it is that taxpayer dollars are funding the federal health insurance exchange.
"Public resources should not be used to subsidize abortions -- the public agrees with that," Miskin told KYW Newsradio today. "It was a bipartisan vote. It's a good law."
But the ACLU's Andy Hoover calls the new law "unfortunate."
"This is the first time that the state legislature and the governor have told a private insurance company they cannot cover a particular procedure," Hoover says.
The law will allow policies to cover abortions in cases of rape, incest, or if a mother's life is in danger. Hoover says at the moment there is no legal challenge planned.
