According to a new report from a pro-life group, more than two-thirds of the healthcare plans on the Obamacare exchanges will cover elective abortion in 2021.
The Charlotte Lozier Institute, an arm of the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List, put together a fact sheet summarizing the inclusion of abortion funding in Obamacare exchanges for the 2021 enrollment period.
According to the fact sheet, “Obamacare exchange plan offerings for the 24 states and D.C. that legally permit elective abortion in Obamacare exchange plans went from an estimated total of 1,120 plans in 2020 to an estimated total of 1,296 plans in 2021, a 16% increase in total plans. For these same 25 areas, an estimated 69% (892 plans) cover elective abortion for the 2021 enrollment period — the same percentage as in 2020.”
The Charlotte Lozier Institute began producing the fact sheets in collaboration with the Family Research Council following the 2014 publication of a Government Accountability Office report which found that more than 1,000 taxpayer-subsidized Obamacare plans included coverage for elective abortions. 2021 is the seventh year in a row that the group produced such a fact sheet.
“Due to the former Obama administration’s severe lack of transparency regarding abortion coverage, the American people are being forced, often unknowingly, to fund abortion through their federal taxes,” said Charlotte Lozier Institute President Chuck Donovan in response to the latest fact sheet’s release on Dec. 18. “This violates both the principles of the Hyde Amendment and the deeply held moral beliefs of pro-life Americans everywhere.”
Obamacare, also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was passed in 2010 and went into effect in October 2013. The legislation required Americans who did not receive health insurance from their employers to purchase health insurance from a list of pre-approved plans covering several essential health benefits on a federal or state-based exchange.
Those who could not afford to buy health insurance and were not already covered under Medicaid received taxpayer-subsidized insurance. While the provision of the law requiring Americans who decided not to buy health insurance to pay a penalty has been abolished, most of Obamacare remains in effect today.
The Charlotte Lozier Institute collaborates with the Family Research Council to produce the Abortion in Obamacare database, which details the number of healthcare plans under the Obamacare exchange in each state and highlights which of those plans provide coverage for elective abortion.
While a majority of states do not have healthcare plans that cover elective abortion, people who live in those states are “still subsidizing abortion on demand in plans in other states” through federal tax payments, the fact sheet explained. In 2020, approximately 2.4 million people received $13 billion in taxpayer money in advanceable premium tax credits for healthcare plans that cover elective abortion in states that have not opted out of abortion coverage.
Currently, the states of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin each have a law on the books that ensures that abortion is not covered in any of the Obamacare exchanges. The remaining states do not have such a law.
Several additional states that do not have laws preventing abortion coverage in Obamacare exchanges still have abortion coverage excluded from all of their Obamacare plans: Delaware, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The above comes from a Dec. 28 story in the Christian Post.
The NY Times reported today that more Americans have health coverage now than at any point in history. We are still living with a pandemic and the ACA is working. This post implies that pregnancy terminations are costing a large percentage of health care funding. That is not true.
Annette, the percentage of our taxes used for “pregnancy terminations,” killing innocent unborn babies, is not the issue. The issue is that innocent babies are being killed and all of us are forced to pay for such a holocaust. My former political party has become, in its entirety, the party of death for innocent, vulnerable babies who have no voice or vote.
In Nazi Germany, the autobahn was expanded into a national highway system and the war efforts were quite costly. The cost of the extermination camps was not a large percentage of their budget (especially given slave labor and inhumane conditions). Yet, that is irrelevant and seems almost obscene to say when millions of innocent lives were purposely taken, as is happening now in our country and will only increase as early as next month when a “Catholic” ascends to the presidency.
Let’s all fight for health care, not against preborn babies and their mothers.
Whatever happened to ‘repeal and replace’?
Massachusetts, like California, is one of the states where Obamacare pays directly for abortions. And, from today’s news: Massachusetts’ Democratic legislature overrode its Republican governor’s veto of a bill on Tuesday that expanded abortion access in a variety of ways, including allowing 16-year-old girls to obtain abortions without parental consent.
Full disclosure and not partisan: that Republican governor is pro-abortion. In this case, he did not want children to obtain abortions without parental consent and did not want to codify late-term abortions into law.
In California, a school girl can get an abortion without her parents knowledge (even though their insurance is billed), but cannot get a “sun” tan at a tanning parlor or a tattoo of any kind, even with parental approval. (I’m not advocating tanning or tattoos, simply pointing out the absurd state we’re in, literally.)
And when we tried to get Prop 4 voted in where parents would have had to be notified that their daughter was pregnant before an abortion could be performed, unless a daughter had been molested by her father, or step-father, the California Teacher’s Union came out against the proposition. The proposition explicitly stated that if a family member had molested the girl, an aunt or other extended family member had to be notified. That propositions would have protected underaged females from being molested by male teachers or strangers who would take them to Planned Parenthood to get an abortion.
More on the new Massachusetts abortion law from the Catholic Action League (www.catholicactionleague.org):
1. The League’s Executive Director, C. J. Doyle, on how Katholyk (or CINO) Massachusetts state legislators who voted to overiride the governor’s veto will be treated by the Catholic Church in Massachusetts:
None of the Catholics who voted for this life ending measure will suffer a word of rebuke from any priest or prelate in Massachusetts. There will be no articles or editorials critical of them in the Catholic press. No one will be denied Holy Communion. No one will be expelled from the Knights of Columbus.
If any serve on the board of a Catholic institution, they will continue to do so. Like Representative Kevin Honan, they will still be eligible to receive awards from Catholic religious orders. All will be treated by the hierarchy, clergy and religious as respected members of the Catholic community.
Silence implies consent. Given the silence of the Church on Catholic participation in expanding the slaughter of the unborn, no rational person can reasonably be expected to take seriously Catholic opposition to abortion in Massachusetts.
2. A report by the same on CATHOLIC AND KATHOLYK (OR CINO) LEGISLATORS VOTE TO EXPAND ABORTION:
On November 18th, the Massachusetts Senate voted to pass Budget Amendment 180. The vote was 33 to 7, which is a margin sufficient to override a gubernatorial veto.
This amendment was contrived to exploit the budget process to force through a controversial piece of legislation which has not even been voted out of committee. That legislation is the radical ROE Act, (S.1209/H.3320 An Act to Remove Obstacles and Restore Access to Abortion).
The Senate sponsor of the measure was Senator Harriet L. Chandler (D-Worcester), but the actual authors of this barbarous aggression against innocent human life were the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts and ACLU Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted on November 12th, by a margin of 108 to 49, to pass the measure, which in that chamber, was designated Amendment 759. Any hope of stopping this extremist legislation will now require both a veto by Governor Charlie Baker and a reversal of five votes in the House.
This legislation would reduce the age at which a young woman could procure an abortion without parental or judicial consent from 18 to 16; eliminate the legal requirement that the abortionist preserve the life of a child born alive; lower the medical standard for allowing dangerous, late term abortions; and eliminate, for abortions prior to 24 weeks, the requirement that physicians perform the procedure, permitting physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners and midwifes to do so.
As a service to the Catholic community, the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts now presents the voting record of the Catholic members of the State Senate on this evil proposal to expand the killing of the pre-born.
Catholics State Senators who voted for Amendment 180
1.. Michael Barrett (D-Lexington).
2. Joseph A. Boncore (D-Winthrop)–graduate of Providence College
3. Michael D. Brady (D-Brockton)
4. Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston)—identifies herself as a parishioner of Saint Mary of the Angels in Roxbury, and as a member of the Saint Mary of the Angels Parish Council; once referred to pro-life Catholics as “Nazis and Klansmen”
5. Nick Collins (D-Boston)—member of Pere Marquette Council Number 271, Knights of Columbus; identified as pro-life on 10/19/20 by Massachusetts Citizens For Life Political Action Committee
6. Sal Di Domenico (D-Everett)–Boston College graduate; President of the Saints Cosmas and Damian Society
7. Paul R. Feeney (D-Foxborough)–graduate of Don Bosco Technical High School
8. John F. Keenan (D-Quincy)–Coach, Sacred Heart Youth Basketball Program
9. Edward J. Kennedy (D-Lowell)
10. Joan B. Lovely (D-Salem)
11. Mark C. Montigny (D-New Bedford)–member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; member of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick; parochial school graduate
12. Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury)
13. Marc R. Pacheco (D-Taunton)
14. Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport)
15. James T. Welch (D-West Springfield)–graduate of Saint Thomas the Apostle Grammar School
Catholic State Senators who voted against Amendment 180
1. Patrick M. O’Connor (R-Weymouth)
2. Michael F. Rush (D-Boston)–graduate of Catholic Memorial High School; graduate of Providence College; member of West Roxbury Council Number 3049, Knights of Columbus
3. Walter F. Timilty (D-Milton)–graduate of Boston College; member of the Knights of Columbus
I. The Numbers There are 40 members of the Massachusetts Senate. As of November, 2020, there are no vacancies. In a historical departure, Catholics are now, for the first time since 1959, a minority in the upper chamber, perhaps reflecting both the increasing secularization of New England and the severe attrition of membership in the Catholic Church in the United States.
Of the 18 Catholics in the Senate, 15, or 83%, voted to expand abortion in the Commonwealth. That is a ratio of five to one. Of the seven Catholic senators who attended at least one Catholic educational institution, from elementary to graduate levels, five, or 71%, voted to expand abortion.
Of the four senators who are members of Catholic fraternal orders, two, or 50%, voted to expand abortion. Of the two senators who are active in their parish church, both, or 100%, voted to expand abortion.
The vote against the ROE amendment is not revealing of either Catholic integrity or pro-life fidelity. One of the opponents of ROE, Senator Patrick O’Connor, identifies himself as a supporter of legal abortion, but voted against the measure due to the lowered parental consent provision.
Another opponent, Senator Walter Timilty has a mixed record on abortion. Thus, the actual percentage of abortion proponents among Catholics in the Senate is 94%, or a ratio of 17 to 1.
II. The Problem The Catholic community in Massachusetts is influenced in its principles, practises, dispositions and habits of thought—in its entire corporate culture—by a Catholic Church which is radically dysfunctional.
Catholic parishes and schools fail to form Catholics. Catholic colleges, universities, law schools, and elite secondary schools actively promote heresy, and in many cases, sodomy. Institutional fundraising, not Catholic formation, is their priority. They want graduates who will be financially successful cultural conformists, aspiring to be members of the President’s Circle of major donors.
Priests and prelates rarely preach or teach against abortion. When they do, their remarks lack force, vigor or clarity, (The Boston Herald reported that, after the Senate vote, the Catholic Church was “concerned.”)
The bishops refuse to enforce Canon 915, preferring sacrilegious communions by those with blood on their hands to the opprobrium of the media, while Catholic fraternal orders, like the Knights of Columbus and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, refuse to expel pro-abortion politicians from their ranks.
Defecting Catholic politicians know they have nothing to fear from the Church when they defy Church teaching. Not a word of criticism will be uttered against them in any pulpit, or on any Catholic radio broadcast or television program, or in the pages of any diocesan newspaper.
When they arrive at a Catholic church for some parish function, the pastor will greet them, they will be seated as an honored guests, the master of ceremonies will recognize them, and priests and prominent parishioners will pose for a photo-op with them.
If they are lectors, school board members, or extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, they will remain so. Not only will they suffer no word of rebuke from anyone in the Church, but they will be given awards, invited to speak at Catholic events, have honorary degrees conferred upon them by Catholic institutions and will be given platforms to address Catholic graduates.
III. The Problem in Boston All of this is exacerbated by an Archdiocese of Boston which is unsupportive of such front line pro-life groups as 40 Days For Life, Priests For Life, Operation Rescue: Boston and the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants. It has, repeatedly, tried to discourage and frustrate the initiative amendment signature drive of the Massachusetts Alliance to Stop Taxpayer Funded Abortion.
Various major donors, prominent lay officials and important consultants for the archdiocese have close ties to powerful pro-abortion political leaders, including Joe Biden. One of the Cardinal O’Malley’s closest advisers is Father Bryan Hehir, the reputed author of the ‘seamless garment’ concept, which is intended to neutralize and marginalize the pro-life movement.
Most harmful of all to the pro-life cause in the Bay State has been the culture of betrayal in the Church in Boston, presided over by the Archbishop, Cardinal Sean O’Malley.
There have been repeated violations of the explicit prohibitions of Catholics in Political Life, the statement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which says “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”
Many of these violations involving pro-abortion political figures have entailed the personal participation of Cardinal O’Malley.
IV. The Solution The pro-life movement must recognize, lucidly, that the Church is more of an impediment, than an ally to the pro-life cause. They cannot depend upon it for institutional support.
They must work to reform the Church, but not be constrained by it in their decision making. If the Church is unwilling to do so, then the pro-life movement, itself, must make Catholic elected officials understand that there is a political penalty to be paid for collaboration with the Culture of Death.
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The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts is doing a service to all, including those pro-abortion Catholics, by bringing this evil into the light.
Thank you for posting that.
May we, as a Church, repent of our complicity with evil! Lord, have mercy on us all!
Well said! I am copying your comments-Lord, Forgive them-they do not know what they have done…..
I am from California-The land of David Daleiden.
I thought there was a word limit on comments.
Article I, abortion is a horrible thing and should be constrained.
Article II, the right to abortion is the law of the land, and because it is the law of the land, government programs will pay for it or require it in insurance programs.
Article III. If you want to outlaw abortion in the US you must elect state and federal legislators who are willing to vote for its abolition, and you must also vote for legislators who will vote for conservative justices at all levels.
Article IV, If you want to be pro-life and get the message out, you must be more than anti-abortion. You must vote for legislatures who will outlaw the death penalty, who will ensure that everyone in the US has good health care, and find ways to pay for it, who will put an end to the causes of homelessness, provide care for those who are mentally challenged, and who are hungry, and the list of Christian beliefs goes on.
Article V.
I think God is giving his own “death penalty”. Droughts and hundreds of lightning strikes all in one day over California causing fires in the summer? HIV and a multitude of STD’s that no condoms seem to stop? Broken marriages and homes as a result which causes poverty for children? and now COVID (Wuhan virus)? Pope St. Paul VI saw it coming in his publishing of Humanae Vitae, and wow! was he right.
Add to that all the earthquakes here.