Health Insurance Surprise: Republicans Pay for Abortions

Did you know the Republican National Committee offered its employees health insurance that covered abortions? Neither did the Republican National Committee. Their health policy had covered abortions since 1991... until last Friday, when Chairman Michael Steele realized the GOP needed a Stupak Amendment of its own. The RNC is thus opting out of coverage for a legal, Constitutionally protected medical procedure (or, as the RNC calls it, "a fundamental assault on innocent human life").

No word on whether the RNC plans to keep coverage for abortion in cases of health risk to the mother— the National Republican Congressional Committee insurance policy makes such exceptions—or in cases of rape or incest.

Apparently private insurance is so complicated that 18 years can pass before political experts realize that their health policy includes procedures that they find morally repugnant. I don't hold that against them: I take it as more evidence that the private health insurance is too arcane to operate according free-market rules.

And think about this: the Stupak Amendment seeks to keep abortion opponents from suffering the moral indignity of seeing their tax dollars pay for abortions... but if you pay health insurance premiums, your dollars are paying for abortions. Do you think your insurer puts your money in a separate pot so it only covers people and procedures you like? Think again.

The Republicans can grandstand dropping abortion coverage for their employees from their insurance policy, but as long as they keep buying insurance from Cigna, their money, good Republican money, will continue paying for abortions.