President Obama: Don't Restrict Women's Access to Abortion Care!

The Jewish Social Policy Action Network opposes the Obama administration's decision to limit a woman's ability to purchase abortion coverage while enrolled in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans (PCIPs), or high-risk insurance pools, created by the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This restriction fails to recognize that the women accessing these high-risk pools are among the most medically vulnerable. Because of their pre-existing health conditions, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes, they are more likely to encounter pregnancy complications and to require access to abortion care.

In a letter sent to President Obama on August 6, 2010 on behalf of the JSPAN Board, president Brian Gralnick explained that "even using their own private funds, assuming that is financially possible, individuals would not be able to buy separate abortion coverage while enrolled in these pools." The President is urged "to reverse this unnecessary restriction on women's health options, and allow women to use their private funds to purchase abortion coverage while enrolled in the PCIPs.".