The South Carolina Senate has an historic opportunity to get abortion out of federal health care insurance in the Obamacare law Democrats in Congress passed but one pro-life group says time is running out.
Holly Gatling, Executive Director of South Carolina Citizens for Life tells LifeNews he roup is working feverishly today to make it happen.
“It will take what is known as “special order” to bring Senate Bill 102 up for a vote in time to pass it this year,” said. “S102 activates the “abortion opt out” provision of the so-called Affordable Health Care Act (also known as Obamacare); but states must be pro-active and pass legislation to get abortion out of the insurance plan. We cannot allow the pro-aborts to stop this bill and force South Carolina to pay for Obamacare abortions.”
SCCL is asking pro-life residents of the Palmetto State contact their state senators by the close of business today by going to https://www.scstatehouse.gov/index.php to reach their elected officials.
Gatling says: “Call your senator’s office by 5 p.m. Monday, February 13. You do not need to speak with the senator personally. Just leave this message with the person who answers the phone: “Please tell Senator [name] to set S102 for special order so that South Carolina tax payers will not pay for abortions in government health insurance.”
Pro-life residents can also email their state senator by following the instructions on the contact page.
Last legislative session the South Carolina state House approved pro-life bills to keep abortion out of government and private health insurance exchanges created under the new health care law.
“The closer we get to national health care, the more important it is that we have people who believe in the sanctity of life,” said pro-life leader, Rep. Greg Delleney, R-Chester, chief sponsor of the legislation to keep abortion out of the state exchanges created under Obamacare.
“Also with the federal opt out provision, we need to make sure that people who believe in the sanctity of life don’t have to pay for someone else’s elective abortions. At the same time we need to make sure that those people who believe in the sanctity of human life who are buying coverage on the open market aren’t forced to buy elective abortion coverage. If someone wants elective abortion coverage, they should purchase that coverage on their own,” he said.
The Obamacare abortion funding opt-out and conscience protection bill passed 69-41 and it prohibited private insurance companies from covering abortion except by what is called a separate rider. Abortion insurance would be available for those who purchase it with a separate policy.
No insurance company is forced to provide abortion coverage, according to information South Carolina Citizens for Life provided LifeNews. But until the S.C. Senate passes the House bill, many South Carolinians who find abortion morally objectionable and have a group policy that covers abortion pay premiums that cover abortions for someone else, the group said.
The ban extends to the state exchanges the Obamacare legislation would set up because the funding for abortions would come at taxpayer expense through the exchanges, which would be funded with federal subsidies. Currently, abortion coverage is banned by a legislative proviso, not a law.
Planned Parenthood Health Systems, a statewide abortion business, opposed the bill, saying it would somehow limit women’s rights to abortion.
In South Carolina, approximately 7,000 abortions were done in 2008, which is down significantly from the more than 10,000 done years ago — thanks in part to a number of pro-life laws the legislature has approved to limit abortions.
