The Stupak-Pitts amendment was added to the health care reform bill in the House of Representative on Saturday, November 7, 2009. This amendment, if signed into law as part of the final health care bill, would be the largest ban on abortion access since before Roe v. Wade (1973). (See an overview of its implications.) This amendment will greatly impact women and their families.
For this reason, PCR remains committed to the women and youth we serve in our fight to oppose the Stupak-Pitts amendment. We believe that:
- a tremendous price has been paid in order to pass the health care reform bill in the House of Representatives.
- health care reform is about increasing access to all health care, including reproductive health care. It should not be used a political wedge issue to negotiate backroom deals on the backs of women.
- if the health care reform bill passes with the Stupak-Pitts amendment attached, the demand for our fund - the only fund in the U.S. that provides women funding to abortion without any restrictions - would increase by 500%.
We Need Your Help TODAY:
Contact your Senator and ask them to oppose any restrictions in the health care bill that would restrict or limit support for abortions. Let Congress know that while we are encouraged about increased coverage for many in the new health care reform, we are not willing to risk women’s reproductive health care to achieve this end.
To help a women today secure the money she needs to pay for her abortion, make a tax-deductible donation to the Hersey Abortion Assistance Fund.
Tell us your abortion story. Your story will help to keep women at the center of this debate. Between now and the day President Obama signs Health Care Reform into legislation, we will highlight one story to show the public the real experiences of women in our country. Please consider sharing your story for the thousands of women who do not have a voice. All individuals will remain completely anonymous.
Please make sure to include:
- The circumstances surrounding your pregnancy (your age, employment status, relationship status etc.)
- Why abortion was the right choice for you
- The type of medical insurance you had or did not have (and if it did or did not cover abortion)
- Why abortion care is an essential part of women’s healthcare and why it should be paid for by all insurance companies
Please send us your story. If you are also willing to share your story (anonymously) with a media journalist, please let us know. If you would like to phone in your response to one of our staff, please contact us at 612-825-2000.
Get Involved with PCR: check out the volunteer opportunities and other ways to stay involved with PCR
What does this amendment mean to women and their families?
In Minnesota, approximately 50% of all abortions are paid for by public assistance or private coverage. With the Stupak-Pitts amendment, any insurance company that participates in the new federal exchange would not be allowed to cover abortions - no matter who pays for the insurance coverage. Women whose insurance providers currently cover abortions would be forced to stop coverage if they wished to participate in the federal exchange. This amendment will affect women nationally living in states where Medicaid does not cover abortion and could also affect women in states where it is currently covered, such as Minnesota. (see Minnesota Abortion Statistics)
Over 1 million abortions are performed in the US each year, making abortion one of the most common, legal medical procedures in the U.S. Based on Minnesota’s statistics, we can estimate that about 500,000 women and girls each year whose abortions were covered by Medicaid or private health insurance would have to pay out of pocket if covered under the House of Representative’s Health Care Plan. (see National Abortion Statistics)
Last year, PCR’s abortion assistance fund helped 507 women and girls by providing $87,756 in financial support. Although we are tremendously proud of this accomplishment, over 4,000 women and girls nationwide contacted us requesting over 2 million dollars in assistance. Even with over 80% of private insurance companies covering abortion and 17 of 50 states covering abortion as part of Medicaid, we are only able to help 1 in 8 callers.
It is estimated that 250 million dollars would need to be raised nationally by abortion funds to cover this gap in health care. Abortion funds cannot fill the health care gap alone. Today, one in four women are forced to carry a pregnancy to term because they do not have health care that covers abortions or the money to cover the cost of the procedure, which can range from a few hundred to a few thousands dollars. The number of women who are forced to carry a pregnancy to term would increase exponentially with this legislation as well.
