Abortion Setback in US

It turns out that the new Affordable Health Care Act ("ObamaCare") has a poison pill hidden in it that is allowing states to deny paying for abortions for women in those states, if the states so choose. NBC News has the story:

Abortion opponents are making use of a new way to restrict access to abortion – by using the authority states have over the new health insurance exchanges, which will be up and running in a year.

At least 21 states have legislation in place or in the works that will stop health insurance companies from paying for abortions for women. Arkansas governor Mike Beebe signed the latest piece on Monday.

Dana Singiser, vice president for public policy at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said the moves to block coverage on the exchanges were part of a larger anti-abortion strategy that relies on state law. “Our opponents have not seen much success at the federal level and they are turning to the state legislatures as an alternative strategy,” Singiser said in a telephone interview.

People who believe that women should have ready access to this kind of reproductive care are working hard to at least keep other states from passing similarly restrictive legislation.