HOUSE Republican Leader John Boehner

Fact Check: Criticism of “Abortion Fee” Comes Up Short; Pro-Life Experts Back Boehner’s Concerns About Taxpayer-Funded Abortion

When it comes to the issue of taxpayer funding for abortion, Democrats know their far-left special interest allies are pushing them to do something that 61 percent of the American public opposes - use taxpayer dollars to pay for ending innocent unborn human life.  So instead of arguing the facts, Democrats are simply throwing up a smokescreen of misinformation and hoping the press keeps the American people in the dark.  One story in this morning’s Congress Daily is a good example. 

Myth: The Congress Daily headline reads, “Boehner Attacks Fee Provision, But Claim Comes Up Short.”

FACT: Nothing in the story supports such a declarative (and opinionated) headline.  And Douglas Johnson of the National Right to Life Committee (the gold-standard when it comes to protecting the unborn) has said, “The Boehner piece is accurate.  It is literally impossible for the public option to pay for abortions without using public funds, because all of the funds spent by the public option will be federal funds.  A federal agency cannot spend anything except federal funds.  Even the CBO document released with the Reid bill treats the ‘premiums’ as federal funds, because of course that is really what they are.”  

Myth: “Abortion-rights supporters say the section is actually a safeguard that makes sure that an insurance company always has enough strictly private money to cover any abortion services its enrollees claim”

FACT: This is an obvious gimmick.  Johnson explains, “This claims that a federal agency can pay for abortions without spending federal funds.  The ‘premiums’ become what are in fact federal funds when the government takes them, and they are federal funds when the government spends them on abortions, whatever contrived label may be slapped over them in the bill.  Even the CBO document released with the Reid bill treats the ‘premiums’ as federal funds, as we read it.” Pro-life Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak agreed that Reid’s language falls short, saying, among other things, “it would mandate abortion coverage for the first time in history.”

Myth: Congress Daily reported, “The provision requires that companies calculate the actuarial value of a plan’s abortion coverage and put at least that much private money - collected from individual premiums instead of government subsidies or tax credits -  into a separate account.  Abortion claims must be paid from this separate account, and companies ‘may not estimate such a cost at less than $1 per enrollee, per month.’  Boehner pointed to that section as proof of the fee. But the provision doesn’t dictate coverage requirements, which would affect premiums.”

FACT: This argument betrays a basic ignorance of health care financing.  The focus on “coverage requirements” is bizarre, considering that a number of factors, including federal mandates like the abortion fee, increase premiums.  Coverage is always paid for by some kind of premium (or direct federal funding), not by pots of gold found at the end of rainbows.

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 11:53 am and is filed under Health Care, Life Issues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Fact Check: Criticism of “Abortion Fee” Comes Up Short; Pro-Life Experts Back Boehner’s Concerns About Taxpayer-Funded Abortion”

1. jerry Says:
   November 20th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

   i against all the Democrat stupid healtthcare bills tthey cost way to much money too.i get the CBO reports and we spending to much time on Obamacare!its time we freeze our budget.no more entitlements program.we should cut taxes first. i like to see our corperate tax cut from 35% to 10% or less for it bring back jobs.its time to stop with the fre trade and go back to fair trade instead.i like see the USA collecyting dutties and tarifs. we would bring jobs to the usa.heree an idea if a barrel of oil sells for 78 dollara well a bushel of weath should seell for the same. i feel the Democrat party has forgoteen our constitution along with our RINO’s

2. Millie Hobbs Says:
   November 21st, 2009 at 1:58 am

   I am saddened and my heart weeps with the knowledge that my tax monies are going to MURDER unborn, innocent life, yet I am powerless to stop this PUBLIC OPTION. As a Christian, this goes AGAINST everything I believe in. With my last child I had a LIFE THREATENING Placenta Preview and was sent to bed for six months. I could not sit up or take care of myself, BUT I opted to try and save the life of my son though both of us were in great danger! Today, my son is a young father, with my only granddaughter, and I am sooooooooooo proud that I took the HARD ROUTE to protect and cherish this unborn life! It was worth everything and I would DO IT AGAIN! I want NO part of taking the innocent lives of the unborn!!!

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