Limiting Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (H 6300, H 6301, S 1038A as amended)

The Senate took a big leap backward this year when it passed a bill requiring the inclusion in the state Health Insurance Exchange of plans that do not cover abortion services.  Specifically, a trio of House and Senate bills (H 6300, H 6301, S 1038A as amended), introduced just a week before the legislative session came to a close, sought to limit reproductive freedom by permitting employers to select insurance plans that did not cover abortion, effectively denying their employees comprehensive reproductive health services.  The ACLU opposed the legislation, arguing that paying for insurance coverage that includes abortion did not impact the religious freedom of a secular employer any more than if the employee used their paycheck in ways objectionable to the employer, and that if this were a matter of religious freedom, the Health Insurance Exchange would also need to include plans that didn’t cover blood transfusions and other medical treatments opposed by various religions.  The bill passed the Senate on the last day of the session, but didn’t receive a hearing in the House after vigorous lobbying by pro-choice groups.