Comments on: Pagliuca Tries To Capitalize On Apparent Health Care Rift http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/20/pagliuca-health-care-2 WBUR is Boston's NPR News Station, featuring NPR news and programs such as Car Talk, On Point, Here & Now, Only A Game and Radio Boston. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:31:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Fred Thys http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/20/pagliuca-health-care-2/comment-page-1#comment-3478 Fred Thys Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:44:04 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=12180#comment-3478 This is Fred Thys. I reported this story. Here is my understanding of the potential impact of the Stupak amendment on residents of Massachusetts. Federal law prohibits the funding of abortions now. The Stupak amendment would prohibit federal funds from going to any health care plan that covers abortions. In Massachusetts, it would have several implications: 1. Currently, in order to get around the ban on federal funds paying for abortions, Massachusetts funds abortion coverage under Medicaid by using only state funds. Abortion rights supporters fear that if the Stupak amendment becomes law, Massachusetts would no longer be able to provide this coverage. 2. Under Massachusetts' universal health coverage, some people who earn too much to be covered by Medicaid can still buy subsidized insurance coverage. Those plans are private, and could be affected by the Stupak amendment. Similarly, small businesses can buy subsidized insurance, and those plans are private, and could be affected by the Stupak amendment. This is Fred Thys. I reported this story. Here is my understanding of the potential impact of the Stupak amendment on residents of Massachusetts.

Federal law prohibits the funding of abortions now.

The Stupak amendment would prohibit federal funds from going to any health care plan that covers abortions.

In Massachusetts, it would have several implications:

1. Currently, in order to get around the ban on federal funds paying for abortions, Massachusetts funds abortion coverage under Medicaid by using only state funds. Abortion rights supporters fear that if the Stupak amendment becomes law, Massachusetts would no longer be able to provide this coverage.

2. Under Massachusetts’ universal health coverage, some people who earn too much to be covered by Medicaid can still buy subsidized insurance coverage. Those plans are private, and could be affected by the Stupak amendment. Similarly, small businesses can buy subsidized insurance, and those plans are private, and could be affected by the Stupak amendment.

]]> By: Deborah Allen, ScD http://www.wbur.org/2009/11/20/pagliuca-health-care-2/comment-page-1#comment-3455 Deborah Allen, ScD Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:31:46 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=12180#comment-3455 I was very disturbed by Bob Oakes' introduction to the Fred Thys story on Senate candidates' views on health reform and the Stupak Amendment. Oakes described the amendment as a prohibition on "government funding for abortion." In fact, the amendment would prohibit PRIVATE funding for abortion by insurers participating in reform plans. The impact of misstatement like Oakes' error was evident later in the story, when a self-described pro-choice voter expressed her unwillingness to see taxpayers forced to pay for other people's right to choose. Whatever one thinks of that question, it misses the point of Stupak. The amendment would restrict the rights of privately insured women and their families to abortion coverage from the 85% of private plans that now cover abortion. I was very disturbed by Bob Oakes’ introduction to the Fred Thys story on Senate candidates’ views on health reform and the Stupak Amendment. Oakes described the amendment as a prohibition on “government funding for abortion.” In fact, the amendment would prohibit PRIVATE funding for abortion by insurers participating in reform plans. The impact of misstatement like Oakes’ error was evident later in the story, when a self-described pro-choice voter expressed her unwillingness to see taxpayers forced to pay for other people’s right to choose. Whatever one thinks of that question, it misses the point of Stupak. The amendment would restrict the rights of privately insured women and their families to abortion coverage from the 85% of private plans that now cover abortion.

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