Millions of Americans – including men – will get a separate bill for abortion coverage alongside one for the rest of their health insurance starting in June
- New rule finalized by the Department of Health and Human Services last week
- It will come into effect on June 27, 2020 but has already been met with criticism
- Abortion rights groups, insurers and medical groups have opposed the new rule
Millions of Americans – including men – are now set to receive a separate bill for abortion coverage alongside the rest of their health insurance.
The new rule, which was finalized by the Department of Health and Human Services last week, will come into effect on June 27, 2020.
It will mean that the three million Americans who purchased health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) state exchange will receive two separate bills through the door each month.
Millions of Americans – including men – are now set to receive a separate bill for abortion coverage alongside the rest of their health insurance. Pictured: Pro-choice activists hold signs alongside anti-abortion activists during the ‘March for Life’ in January 2019
One will be for general insurance coverage with the other being an invoice specifically for the amount of the premium attributed for abortion services.
Federal funding for abortion was made illegal in 1976 despite subsequent exceptions being made in circumstances that endanger the life of the mother.
The ACA already requires insurers to itemize abortion coverage separately but found in 2014 that many were still not doing so.
The Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement that providing separate bills is now ‘an essential step’ in remedying that issue, according to The Washington Post.
He added: ‘The separate billing requirement fulfills Congress’ intent and reflects President Trump’s strong commitment to preventing taxpayer funding of abortion coverage.’
While the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, alongside other groups that oppose abortion, praised the new billing system there has already been fierce objection from many other sides of the debate.
The new rule that was finalized by the Department of Health and Human Services last week will come into effect on June 27, 2020 but has already been met with criticism. Pictured: Pro-abortion rights activists protesting at Supreme Court, Washington, in May
Abortion rights groups argued that it will create an increasing stigma around the process of abortion as well as ultimately making it more difficult for women to access.
Insurers themselves have also protested that the extra administrative requirements will be particularly onerous.
And medical groups have suggested that this in turn could lead to some insurers dropping coverage for abortion altogether particularly if people then also forget to pay the separate bills.
It is thought that the second bill that covers abortion will be for $1 per person, per month.
But this will not alter the overall cost of the coverage because the charge will be broken out of the original charge rather than being an add-on.
However, given the extra organizational burden to the insurance industry, the Human and Health Department has estimated that the total cost to insurers will actually reach more than $541million.
This cost is expected to filter down to consumers in some form or another before the costs eventually stabilize at around $232million in 2021.