USA – The Weldon Amendment: A Poison Pill Rider for Abortion Access

National Women’s Law Center
May 30, 2023

A health care provider’s personal beliefs should never dictate health care. Yet a federal law known as the Weldon Amendment allows personal beliefs, not patient health and the standard of care, to determine the care a patient receives.

The Weldon Amendment is a rider that has been attached to the annual Labor-HHS appropriations bill in Congress since 2005. Although it is written to prohibit any entity subject to the rider from “discriminat[ing]” against certain health care entities – including hospitals, health insurance plans, doctors, and nurses – that refuse to provide, cover, pay for, or refer for abortion, it really allows health care providers to discriminate against patients by denying them the care they need. There are no provisions in the Weldon Amendment to protect patient access to abortion services.

Continued: https://nwlc.org/resource/the-weldon-amendment-a-poison-pill-rider-for-abortion-access/

30.05.2023

Commentary

abortion refusals

Affordable Care Act

belief-based care denial

care denials

conscientious objection

Title X family planning program

Biden’s Budget Is an Opportunity to Promote and Protect Abortion Access

1/9/2023
by BETHANY VAN KAMPEN SARAVIA

Abortion is healthcare, and access to healthcare is a human right everyone is entitled to, no matter their income, hometown, race or gender—and now more than ever, the American people agree with this.

Abortion was one of the defining issues of the midterm elections. It was the number one issue for almost one-third of all voters according to exit polls, and every single ballot initiative addressing abortion was a resounding victory. (“It turns out women enjoy having human rights, and we vote,” Hillary Clinton tweeted.)

Continued: https://msmagazine.com/2023/01/09/biden-budget-2024-abortion-hyde-weldon-amendment/

09.01.2023

Statement on the U.S Congress’ FY22 spending bill which fails to permanently repeal the global gag rule

U.S congressional leaders have announced they have reached a final spending deal for the fiscal year 2022 (FY22) but the bill fails to permanently repeal the harmful global gag rule.

International Planned Parenthood Federation
Thu, 03/10/2022

U.S congressional leaders have announced they have reached a final spending deal for the fiscal year 2022. This bill results from months of negotiations over funding and policy decisions, including those that impact sexual and reproductive healthcare globally.

Despite the inclusion of language to permanently repeal the global gag rule passed in the House and introduced in the Senate, the final legislation fails to permanently end the harmful policy that has destroyed the lives of women and girls around the world for so many years. It also does not remove discriminatory abortion bans like the Hyde, Helms, and Weldon amendments or include much-needed new investments in sexual and reproductive healthcare and international family planning programs.

Continued: https://www.ippf.org/media-center/statement-us-congress-fy22-spending-bill-which-fails-permanently-repeal-global-gag

The Fight Over California’s Abortion Coverage Mandate

Bethany Lee
Feb 3, 2021

Can a state require that all health plans offered to its residents cover elective abortions? The federal government thinks not, and the state of California is poised to lose at least $200 million in Medicaid dollars because it insists that health plans in its state cover abortion services.

In early 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Trump Administration issued a notice to California that the state’s abortion coverage mandate violated federal law. According to a December press release from the HHS Office for Civil Rights, the federal government may enforce its decision by withholding $200 million in federal Medicaid funds each quarter until the state comes into compliance.

Continued: https://www.theregreview.org/2021/02/03/lee-fight-over-california-abortion-coverage-mandate/

03.02.2021

Commentary

Featured

coverage for abortion

Department of Health and Human Services

ACLU Orders Full-Page Newspaper Ads Pressing Joe Biden On Abortion Rights

Former Vice President Joe Biden backed ending the Hyde Amendment, and the ACLU is calling on him to keep that commitment.

07/10/2020
By Brooklyn Wayland, HuffPost US

The American Civil Liberties Union has paid for full-page newspaper ads to run on Sunday that call on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to prioritize protecting abortion rights should he be elected. The ads in the Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer ask, “Vice President Biden, will you lead on reproductive rights?”

Continued: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/aclu-runs-full-page-ad-pressuring-joe-biden-on-abortion_n_5f08e40ec5b63a72c341bed5?ri18n=true

10.07.2020