Health insurance companies in California cannot refuse abortion coverage, including Catholic universities.
State insurance officials ruled that it's unlawful to deny a woman of abortion coverage in the state, according to The Associated Press reports.
Abortion coverage is not required by The Affordable Care Act.
"Abortion is a basic health care service," California's Department of Managed Health Care director Michelle Rouillard said in a letter to seven insurance companies Friday. "All health plans must treat maternity services and legal abortion neutrally."
According to the letter, the state constitution and a 1975 state law prohibits insurance companies from selling group plans that exclude abortion procedures.
This ruling comes back to light after Santa Clara University and Loyola Marymount University, both Catholic universities in California, announced they were going to provide healthcare without abortion coverage, reports California Healthline.
"California cannot be allowed to discriminate against health plans that don't cover elective abortions and force people to purchase coverage that conflicts with their convictions," Life Legal Defense Foundation Legal Director Catherine Short tells AP.
