A Government Accountability Office investigation has discovered that Obamacare insurance plans' strict rules have been violated in widespread instances, where customers have used federal health care subsidies on insurance policies that cover abortion procedures, The Wall Street Journal reported. Anti-abortion groups and Republicans will most probably use the revelation to attack congressional Democrats in the coming elections.
Out of 18 insurers, 15 were found to be selling Obamacare plans that do not segregate funds to cover abortion (except in cases of rape, incest or the mother's life) from their Obamacare subsidies, the report, commissioned by House Republican leadership and obtained by POLITICO on Monday night, stated.
"The Affordable Care Act requires that insurers collect separate payments from customers for abortion coverage so that taxpayer money in the form of subsidies does not cover abortions," according to Politico. "Adoption of the complex payment scheme - which essentially requires customers to send two separate payments to their insurers - was pivotal to getting the health law through Congress."
Since lots of concerns have been raised by pro-life activists for years about how President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul could force taxpayers to subsidize abortion, his administration had repeatedly assured Americans that Obamacare would steer clear of subsidizing abortion services, despite the White House's close ties to abortion giant Planned Parenthood. "Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions," Obama had promised in 2009.
In fact, former Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson placed Obamacare's final and crucial vote based on the promise that abortion subsidies wouldn't be included in the bill, according to Townhall.com.
Among a sample of 18 insurers, "all but three issuers indicated that the [abortion coverage] benefit is not subject to any restrictions, limitations, or exclusions," the GAO wrote in its report.
In the last enrollment period, about 87 percent of the 5.4 million people used at least some subsidy to buy a plan on HealthCare.gov, according to government figures. However, there is no data provided on how many plans have paid for abortions so far.
Additionally, "the GAO report found that in Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont, all insurance plans offered on the exchanges cover abortions above and beyond the exceptions for rape, incest and the mother's life. The health law required the Office of Personnel Management to ensure there was at least one insurance policy in each state that did not cover abortion except in the restricted circumstances," according to Politico.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration, in a response to a draft copy of the report, defended its actions.
On Tuesday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated that health insurance companies were regularly informed about technical details dealing with abortion coverage, but said that it would provide additional clarification in the coming days.
"CMS will work with stakeholders, including states and issuers, so they fully understand and comply with the federal law prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortions," spokesman Ben Wakana said.
Although the law requires issuers to collect separate payments, there is no specification on how it needs to be done, a Health and Human Services Department official confirmed.
Susan B. Anthony, List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, expressed outraged, claiming she had warned about abortion subsidies for years.
"Today's report is confirmation that Obamacare is a massive expansion of abortion on demand, paid for by the taxpayers," Dannenfelser said in a statement. "Obamacare breaks from the long tradition of the Hyde Amendment, which has prevented taxpayer funding of abortion with broad public support, and was not included in the law."
Nationally, 1,062 plans in 28 states only cover abortion in the cases of rape, incest or to preserve the mother's life, and 1,036 plans cover abortion services in a wider variety of circumstances, the GAO said.
