Not sure what to do? This post covers everything you need to know.
Is $1 a month being paid for me?
If you are enrolled in an insurance plan that covers elective abortions then, yes, your insurance provider is paying a premium of at least $1 per month into an abortion fund because of you. (Sec 1303 (b)(1 & 2))
To be clear, an elective abortion is different than abortion for medical reasons. Almost all insurance plans provide insurance for abortions due to medical risk, this coverage does not qualify you for the abortion premium.
It does not matter whether or not you ever have an abortion or plan to have an abortion, if elective abortion is covered in your plan, your insurer is required to pay in your name.
Can't I just ask my insurance provider?
No. Unfortunately, you can't just ask your insurance provider if they are paying the $1 abortion premium for your account.
The HHS Mandate states that your insurer can only tell you about this premium at the time of enrollment and cannot tell you about the individual payment made. (No, I am not joking. Look it up in Sec 1301 (b)(3)(A & B). This is now infamously known as the "secrecy clause.")
Now, you can ask your insurance provider if elective abortion is covered in your insurance plan. They are still allowed to tell you that. Alternatively, you can look up your insurance benefits yourself.
There is good news here. You have options to get out of the abortion premium being paid in your name. The law requires that every state offer at least one insurance plan that does not cover abortion.
1.) Your first option might be to switch insurance plans with your existing insurance provider.
- Ask your insurance provider to see what other plans are available.
- (This is only an option if your insurance provider offers a plan that doesn't cover elective abortion.)
- Ask your employers if other providers are available. (Share your values with your employer.)
- For people at companies with only one insurance provider, this means you might have to become self-insured, which can be expensive.
- To be clear, I cannot think of a scenario where this last resort is needed. Being self-insured should always cost less and take less effort than being uninsured.
- Not having insurance will increase your cost of health care.
- Further this will also subject you to fines of 2.5% of your annual salary each year. (Sec 5000A (c)(1 & 2))
Personal Thoughts
Catholicism teaches that knowingly supporting an intrinsic evil, like abortion, is a grave sin. As with so many other parts of the HHS Mandate, Catholics cannot, in good faith, support such policies.
For my wife and I the decision was simple. As soon as we learned about this premium, we decided we would do whatever it took to make sure we didn't contribute to the death of a single unborn child.
What about you?
Keep Pursuing
Additional Resources
As always, I urge you to think for yourself and reference source documents! Here is a direct link to the text of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare):
If the legal text is too thick for you, here is the best summary I have found of the facts surrounding the abortion premium:
An interesting read striking down some of the myths surrounding the abortion premium:
Lastly I urge you to take action if this offends you. In addition to making sure you are not paying for abortions, call your elected representatives at the State and the Federal level and let them know you don't like this and you want it repealed.
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