The following comes from an April 7 posting on the website of Assemblywoman Shannon Grove:
SACRAMENTO – Assemblywoman Shannon Grove has introduced legislation (AB 1254) to stop state health officials from forcing churches and other California employers to buy insurance coverage for elective abortion in violation of their religious beliefs and in violation of federal law. Last summer, the California Department of Managed Health Care suddenly changed its policy and threatened to punish any insurance company who sold policies without elective abortion coverage. It did this despite the fact that nothing in California law or in the state constitution requires private health plans to cover abortion, and despite the federal Weldon Amendments which forbids this type of discrimination.
“No one, especially religious organizations with moral objections, should be forced to pay for abortions in their healthcare plans,” said Assemblywoman Shannon Grove. “Not only is this an unconscionable assault on our most fundamental freedoms, it flagrantly violates federal law.”
According to the Hyde-Weldon Conscience Protection Amendment, states like California receiving certain federal tax payer dollars are prohibited from discriminating against health insurance companies offering plans that don’t provide abortion coverage. The California Department of Managed Health Care suddenly reinterpreted a 1975 California law mandating insurance plans cover “basic health care services.” On their own, state bureaucrats announced last August that all abortions are now to be considered “basic health services.”
“These unelected state health officials knew about this federal requirement, but decided to break the law instead,” said Assemblywoman Shannon Grove. “Consequently, California could lose tens of billions in federal healthcare dollars for this violation, hurting people throughout the state who depend that money.”
Ironically, California exempts certain religious employers, allowing them to not include contraceptive coverage in their health-care plans, but this exemption does not exist for abortions.
Seven California churches, with the help of the Life Legal Defense Foundation and Alliance Defending Freedom have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights over this illegal discrimination in violation of federal law. Life Legal Defense Foundation and Alliance Defending Freedom also filed a complaint on behalf of seven Loyola Marymount University employees who were forced into a plan covering elective abortion by the Department of Managed Health Care’s order.
Assemblywoman Grove’s bill (AB 1254) would simply require the department to follow federal law and prohibit discrimination against healthcare companies selling health insurance policies without abortion coverage. This bill in no way prohibits health insurance companies from providing abortion coverage; it just removes the abortion coverage requirement.
” SACRAMENTO – Assemblywoman Shannon Grove has introduced legislation (AB 1254) to stop state health officials from forcing churches and other California employers to buy insurance coverage for elective abortion in violation of their religious beliefs”.
So where is the California Catholic Conference of Bishops?
Where are the CA Diocese Bishops?
Are all Priests asking Catholic to contact their CA State elected officials in support of this bill ?
Yes, the silence from the bishops is deafening.
However, if the issue was really important, such as permitting illegal immigration, gay or transgender rights, unfair police treatment of minorities, or increasing taxes on the top ten percent to benefit the bottom fifty percent, you can be sure that the bishops would be very concerned and very vocal about it.
Your posting caused me to research Assemblywoman Grove – she has an excellent record representing Kern County. There is one point you could have added to the posting: Assemblywoman Grove is a Republican. everyone probably guessed that but I think it is important to mention that fact every time for one reason:
After a while Catholics would be forced to notice that every time someone does something pro abortion the politician is a Democrat. Every time one does something pro life (like Mrs Grove), the politician is a Republican.
If this were repeated again and again, perhaps Catholics would stop voting Democrat. But maybe I am a hopeless optimist.
If one checks both Parties – CA STATE and also their National PLATFORMS – on the internet –
which contain the Party GOALS – one will see all the Intrinsic Evils in the Democratic Platforms.
I met Shannon Grove at a crisis pregnancy dinner. I have been very impressed with her service as a politician. Recently, I saw a video with her analysis of the CA drought crisis and it shed a whole new light on the problem. She is not a one issue politician but a thoughtful representative who appears to be working hard to make CA a better place for all of us.
Abortion is not healthcare. The abortion industry can repeat this mantra over and over again until Kingdom come. However, that does not make it so and I appreciate the efforts of Shannon Grove to introduce legislation allowing insurance companies to opt out of offering abortion. The incidence of premature birth among women who have had abortions is enough to raise the costs of healthcare that provides for abortion. Some of us do not wish to buy insurance that promotes abortion. Others are free to participate in the abortion holocaust. It should be a choice.
Assemblywoman Shannon Grove thank you for your brave service. You will be in my prayers.
“….(N)othing in California law or in the state constitution requires private health plans to cover abortion…..” yet if ‘health plans’ want to uphold their right to stay out of the baby killing business they are currently forced to spend time and money defending this right. We are currently seeing this all over the country regarding many so called “freedoms” we have. Even if we win in court time and again, the financial blow will still take its toll. This is clearly a battle which can only be won by prayer and fasting. We should also examine our lifestyles. Are we holding debts for goods and services we think we can’t live without? Are we engaging in entertainment we can live without? Are we contracepting because we consider life to costly?This life is short! Eternity is forever! I believe that God is purifying us. Praise God! Those who promote evil will not be laughing for long!