RNC Covers Elective Abortions For Its Employees?
Have you donated to the Republican National Committee lately?
The national committee dedicated to electing members of the GOP to federal and state offices across America has undoubtedly sent numerous letters and emails campaigning against “ObamaCare.” One common objection against “ObamaCare” is that it would open the doors to federally funded abortions. Despite this objection, according to Huffington Post and Politco, the Republican National Committee is currently practicing hypocrisy.
The Republican National Committee’s health insurance plan covers elective abortion – a procedure the party’s own platform calls “a fundamental assault on innocent human life.”
Federal Election Commission Records show the RNC purchases its insurance from Cigna. Two sales agents for the company said that the RNC’s policy covers elective abortion.
Informed of the coverage, RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho told POLITICO…”The current policy has been in effect since 1991, and we are taking steps to address the issue.”
According to several Cigna employees, the insurer offers its customers the opportunity to opt out of abortion coverage – and the RNC did not choose to opt out.
There is no indication that any RNC employee has used the abortion coverage, but Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said it’s “no surprise” that the RNC is offering it.
I am terribly disappointed, but hardly surprised. I’m pleased (and thankful) that many Republicans that have been made aware of this scandal are stating that it should be changed. Though, one would have preferred that in the so-called “pro-life” party such a travesty would have never occured.
12 Responses to RNC Covers Elective Abortions For Its Employees?
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I trust it will be dropped, and it should never have been covered, but I like the fact that the coverage apparently has never has been used. No doubt a similar story will come out now about the DNC with a revelation as to how frequently that coverage has been utilized
No source says that it has never been used; it hasn’t been indicated either way, i.e. no numbers have been given. I doubt the number is high, if it has ever been used. Nevertheless, it’s scandalous.
I rather think that if the Politico could have found any evidence that the coverage had been used Eric, they would have run with it, since this was an “Embarrass the Repulicans” story and the use of the insurance would have been icing on the cake.
Most certainly Donald. But I think “no indication” might be able to mean that no numbers were given — or could be given — since there is the issue of confidentiality. Politico would have loved it; their source could have declined to give a number or bother to speculate.
Are you really surprised?
RNC panders to pro-life, conservative and traditional values, yet, overall they are only marginally less bad than the Demoncrats.
It is time for faitful orthodix Catholics and authentic conservatives to either take over the Republican party and evict the liberals and Northeast establishment, country-club RINOs or move to an authentically conservative party.
How wonderful is it that this scandal broke right after the vote for Stupak? The timing must be a coincidence, huh?
I would imagine that given medical confidentiality laws, it’s impossible to tell whether it’s ever been used.
I agree it’s appauling, and I agree it will probably now be changed given the exposure, but in a sense I find it hard to see it as meaning that much one way or another. Heck, I have no idea if the health insurance coverage from my company covers abortion, never having had reason to look. And it would be even less likely that I’d know that about some other company I don’t even work for.
Nor is the RNC uniformly pro-life in their actions: although the party is officially pro-life the RNC routinely provides support to pro-choice Republicans if they’re the ones who win nominations. I wish they didn’t, but the see their purpose as boosting the party, not some particular group there-in. (Which is why I always donate to individual candidates or to specifically pro-life groups if I’m going to provide any political donations. I don’t see boosting the party for party’s sake as a plus.)
To know if abortion is covered, all you need is a Plan Doc. Every insured is required to get one. To know how many abortions were paid for, you would need either a Summary Report By Benefit or a Summary Report By Procedure. Access to those reports would be limited to the plan sponsor, broker, account manager and the management team. These reports would not be covered by HIPAA except under exceptional circumstances that I don’t believe would be applicable. However, I believe the odds are that someone just looked at the plan doc.
One more reason why I am not registered with the Party of Death nor the Republican Party.
“The Republican National Committee will no longer offer employees an insurance plan that covers abortion after POLITICO reported Thursday that the anti-abortion RNC’s policy has covered the procedure since 1991.
“Money from our loyal donors should not be used for this purpose,” Chairman Michael 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.”
Steele has told the committee’s director of administration to opt out of coverage for elective abortion in the policy it uses from Cigna.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29456.html
Yes, I’m sure it is covered in the plan doc — but honestly most people do not read their plan doc in full. They know their copay, their deductible in and out of network, their maximum out of pocket, and what doctors offices are covered by their plan. I suppose in a very boring ideal world everyone would sit down and read the entire plan doc, but I certainly don’t bother to.
The only time I actually read all the documentation on a health care plan was when I was tasked with helping to find a new plan for the small business I was working for at the time. Whoever was in that seat back in ’91 clearly was at fault, but beyond that it doesn’t really seem like the sort of thing anyone would have noticed one way or the other at the RNC. Which doesn’t detract from the fact it was stupid and that they did the right thing by immediately changing the coverage. It just doesn’t strike me as all that telling one way or another.
Of course, with the idea of the government funding insurance plans for people, we are all now in that seat of deciding what benefits should be covered — and so it seems reasonable for concerned voters to put their collective foot down on the topic of covering abortion.
The ultimate reason why Catholics should never identify themselves with any political party.
Mack,
Completely agree.
Another example of the RNC doing lip service to the Pro-Life movement and not walking the talk.