NEWS AND COMMENT
"The Incredibly Long Arms Of The Stupak Amendment; Your Large Employer Insurance Plan Is Not Safe"
It's bad enough that our government has seen fit to deny equal treatment of those who would avail themselves of a perfectly legal medical procedure. Now, this Stupid amendment threatens to derail health care reform as it would reach out and imperil existing private insurance coverage. Those who would deny free choice are disrupting the reform process by injecting their anti-abortion agenda into the mix.
I wonder about health insurance that would cover abortions. I'm sure that it is more complicated than I think, but perhaps an insurance company could profitably issue policies just for a possible future abortion. This might be low risk, and thus low cost, since it seems unlikely that a high percentage of a large group of women would
actually need an abortion. Just wondering.
"The Incredibly Long Arms Of The Stupak Amendment; Your Large Employer Insurance Plan Is Not Safe"
It's bad enough that our government has seen fit to deny equal treatment of those who would avail themselves of a perfectly legal medical procedure. Now, this Stupid amendment threatens to derail health care reform as it would reach out and imperil existing private insurance coverage. Those who would deny free choice are disrupting the reform process by injecting their anti-abortion agenda into the mix.
I wonder about health insurance that would cover abortions. I'm sure that it is more complicated than I think, but perhaps an insurance company could profitably issue policies just for a possible future abortion. This might be low risk, and thus low cost, since it seems unlikely that a high percentage of a large group of women would
actually need an abortion. Just wondering.
2 Comments:
Two thoughts (my 2ยข -- so if my math is right -- is that carry the one, or move the decimal? -- that's one penny apiece):
First, I was shocked to learn recently just how common abortion is: according to CDC figures, something in the order of 1 in 4 to 1 in 5 pregnancies in the US are medically terminated. I would never have guessed even that order of magnitude. (Doesn't change my absolute support for unimpeded freedom of choice for everyone, and my recognition that anyone who claims political support for "freedom" but is anti-choice is a hypocrite of the first order.)
And second, y'know, I realize I could be wrong, but I'll bet not a single one of those abortions was planned out in advance. I'm just trying to visualize it -- young woman, youngish woman, middle-aged woman, whatever, thinks to herself, "Y'know what would really make my day? An unplanned pregnancy necessitating a painful, invasive, risky, and costly medical procedure!" (Well, I guess the pregnancy really couldn't properly be termed "unplanned," then could it?)
Point being: nobody thinks they -- or their partner -- are going to need an abortion til the moment they realize they do. So I'm betting the sell-through on insurance policies specific to the possible future need of abortion services wouldn't be overwhelming.
G-d (and the less cowardly/stupid/hypocritical congresscritters) willing, we'll never have to have an empirical test of this prediction.
By
smartalek, at 6:31 AM
smartalec - You're probably right about the appeal of an abortion insurance policy. But, think, if all women signed up there would be 20-25% of a payout. I guess underwriters could figure out loss ratios and pricing. altara
By
Homer, at 6:40 AM
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