Weather
Pending Regulation Might Disqualify Some Low-Income Women for State-paid AbortionsRelated Content
ANCHORAGE - A proposed state health regulation is being described by both a supporter and an opponent as an attempt to restrict state-paid abortions for low-income women. The state Department of Health and Social Services proposes to remove the reference to a woman's psychological health from its definition of a medically necessary abortion. The department won't comment on the rationale for that, but others think the effect would be to reduce the number of state-paid abortions. "The current regulation that we're operating under talks about ameliorating a woman's health, physical or psychological health,” said Clover Simon, spokeswoman for abortion provider Planned Parenthood. “It's pretty specific to both her physical body and then also to her mental health. And this new definition just says health. And we don't know what that means. Does it include her mental health or not?" Representative Wes Keller of Wasilla, who introduced a bill to stop public funding of as many abortions as possible, says he supports the new definition. "Because that term 'psychological' is undefined, the end result has been that there is no way to tell what an elective abortion is. Therefore it was left wide open. Basically, all abortions -- any abortion that was asked for, was done." Planned Parenthood objects to new paperwork requirements in the proposed regulation. Simon said: "For the last 19 years, we have just charted in our medical record the medical necessity for the abortion and billed Medicaid as we would for any other medical procedure, so this would be a departure from that." In a written statement, the health department says that part of the regulation is intended to “avoid payment errors” and “to verify that funds are being used in accord with the law.”
Thereafter, the real fight could begin.
|
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled.
Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
|
You have indicated this comment should be removed.
The comment has been submitted for review. Thank you .
Right said on Tuesday, Jul 3 at 7:44 PM
Stop The murder of innocent victims stop abortion. Its not the babies fault.
95412906Add said on Tuesday, Jul 3 at 8:08 PM
If you own an Iphone you pay for your own killing.
95413756If they have said on Wednesday, Jul 4 at 6:02 PM
Time to make babies they have time to go find a second or first job. they pay for their own murder.
95474075Raven33 said on Saturday, Jul 7 at 6:08 AM
Good!
95771586EA, Kenai said on Saturday, Jul 7 at 9:42 AM
Low-income people can certainly be as responsible as upper-income people can. We all know what not to do if we are not ready for (more) children. I am an Alaska Native woman and I do NOT expect everyone else to take care of my health for me or to kill my child if I don't want it. What a degenerate society we are when the MOTHER fights for the right to kill her own child.
95782881Anonymous said on Saturday, Jul 7 at 11:40 AM
well then create a program to house the pregnant women, a place to give birth, a place to nurse and heal with the baby, then prepare to give the baby up..from what some have told me...they wish they had the baby and gave the baby to a good family then abort it...but they were scared and felt like they got thrown in the fry pan...we got plenty of folks who cannot have kids...where the hell is the link to that? bureaucracy at it's best! May be someone or an organization can nationalize this idea and get another option to scared pregnant women...give them a choice...incase they are not comfortable with abortion...they need to meet with those that did..
95789011Add a comment
Most Popular