The McDonnell administration is looking to continue a state policy adopted in 2011 that would prohibit insurance plans offered in health care exchanges from covering abortions.
Critics of the plan include Democratic legislators and a Republican state senator, John Watkins, who is carrying legislation that would align state and federal law in the wake of a move by the McDonnell administration to opt out of creating its own health-care exchange.
Watkins told The Virginian-Pilot for a story published this week that he feels an amendment like the one being discussed by the administration could go “way too far” in restricting abortions in private insurance plans.
Democratic Del. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) characterized the effort as being part of an ongoing attempt by Republicans to “turn back the clock women’s reproductive health care.”
“Last year, House and Senate Republicans imposed medically unnecessary requirements on women’s health care clinics and forced women to get an ultrasound prior to having an abortion. Now, the McDonnell administration is attempting to prevent health care plans from covering an abortion in order to satisfy a rigid ideology. I encourage all concerned Virginia women to contact the Governor’s office and demand that he reconsider his anti-women’s health amendment,” McClellan said.
“Republicans are determined to take away a woman’s right to choose a safe, legal abortion. In 2012, Republicans rammed the ideologically driven and invasive mandatory ultrasound bill and TRAP regulations through the General Assembly,” said Del. Kaye Kory (D- Annandale, Falls Church). “As if that wasn’t enough, with less than two weeks before the end of the legislative session, the McDonnell Administration is preparing an amendment to restrict even further a women’s right to choose an abortion. I hope that the Republicans and the Governor will regroup and get back to focusing on creating jobs and fixing our transportation gridlock rather than attacking women’s health care.”
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