Permanent abortion funding ban has state providers concerned
Photo by AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
(Allentown) — Federal funding for abortion has not been allowed since the 1970s with the adoption of the Hyde Amendment, which has been renewed every year since.
This week, the U.S. House passed a bill that would permanently ban the use of federal dollars for abortion services and it has some Pennsylvania providers worried.
The bill would make the Hyde Amendment permanent and government-wide, and block abortion coverage on health insurance plans sold through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Opponents fear the ban on coverage for ACA plans would cause private insurers to get rid of their coverage on all plans.
At the Allentown Women’s Center in Bethlehem, Executive Director Kim Chiz says their patients are typically already mothers, who know what pregnancy, childbirth, adoption, and abortion mean to them.
“So limiting their options based on their insurance, what type of insurance they have is a terrible thing to do, especially since it most affects low-income people, people of color, and young people,” she said.
Chiz says it’s economic injustice that a zip code or income can determine what kind of care a person can receive.
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
