GOP abortion insurance
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The Republican National Committee’s health insurance plan covers elective abortions for its employees, an option Republicans strongly oppose in health overhaul legislation that Democrats are trying to push through Congress.
Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele learned of the policy’s abortion coverage Thursday through a news report and immediately instructed staff to inform the insurance carrier that the RNC wanted to opt out of elective abortion coverage, RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said.
‘Money from our loyal donors should not be used for this purpose,’ Steele said in a statement. ‘I don’t know why this policy existed in the past, but it will not exist under my administration. Consider this issue settled.’
Gitcho said the policy had been in effect since 1991.
The GOP platform traditionally includes strong antiabortion language. All House Republicans, except one, voted for an amendment imposing restrictions on coverage for abortions in the healthcare bill that passed the House last Saturday.
A memo from RNC Chief of Staff Ken McKay to the organization’s members said that the RNC received a phone call from a reporter on Wednesday asking whether the RNC’s healthcare policy, through Cigna, covered elective abortions for employees. On Thursday, Politico.com published a report citing two sales agents for Cigna who said that the RNC’s policy did cover elective abortion.
The Cigna employees said that the RNC didn’t choose to opt out of abortion coverage when given the opportunity, Politico.com reported.
‘Upon learning of this story, at the chairman’s direction, we immediately contacted the Executive Committee,’ the RNC memo said. ‘We will be scheduling a call with the Executive Committee in the immediate future to discuss this matter more fully.’
The memo said that the RNC health insurance policy has been in review for some time.
‘Chairman Steele had already called for an official review of our health insurance policy along with a number of other operational items,’ the memo said.
-- Associated Press