Health Care Reform vs. Senator Scott Brown vs. Abortion: Will it work?

According to Medical News Today, "With the White House and House Democrats solidifying agreements on some major areas of contention in the health reform bill, policymakers this week are expected to refocus on the issue of abortion coverage, the Washington Times reports. "

Abortion-rights supporters say their goal is to remove restrictions on abortion coverage from both the House and Senate versions of the bill (HR 3962, HR 3590). Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), an abortion-rights supporter, said the issue is

"Really sensitive, and we need to figure it out." She added, "We think it's possible to come up with language that the Pro-Choice Caucus would not 'embrace' but would be acceptable."

Negotiations on the issue are expected to start when both chambers return on Tuesday.

What are your predictions? Now that Republican Scott Brown has won the race? Will the Healthcare bill pass? What's going to happen to women's reproductive health services? Will it be cut?

The House bill includes an amendment by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) that would prohibit insurance plans that receive federal subsidies from offering abortion coverage and would require women who want such coverage to purchase a supplemental policy rider (Haberkorn, Washington Times, 1/18). The Senate bill includes language proposed by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) that would allow private plans to offer abortion coverage but would require enrollees to submit their premium payments in two separate checks -- one for abortion care and one for everything else. It also would require health plans to create separate accounts for the payments they receive (Women's Health Policy Report, 1/13).

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the legislation would continue to move forward, regardless of the outcome of the election.
"Certainly the dynamic will change depending on what happens in Massachusetts," she said, adding, "Just the question of how we would proceed. But it doesn't mean we won't have a health care bill" (Levey, Los Angeles Times/Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/19).

WOW!

My Thoughts...

What do you think will happen to the "Health Care Bill?" Will it pass? What is going to happen to abortion, will it be cut to try and move the bill? How is Senator Scott Brown going to effect healthcare?

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