Thursday Sept 29, 2011 a federal judge ruled against the ACLUs request to stop the implementation of a Kansas law limiting the use of insurance coverage for
abortion procedures in the state.
Judge Wesley Brown of Federal District Court claimed the A.C.L.U. of Kansas and Western Missouri failed to prove the contention that the Legislature approved the law to make it more difficult to receive
abortions in the state. The law bars the inclusion of abortion services in basic medical plan coverage with the exception for the health of the woman.
The argument by Anti abortion groups is that people should not have to pay for procedures that they see as morally wrong when they buy a general health plan.
Just as the right to travel freely does not force other citizens to buy me a car, the so-called right to abortion should not require citizens to pay for it, Ostrowski said.
Opponents of the law, including pro-choice groups and legal groups including the ACLU, argue that abortion care is part of general
OBGYN care and needs to be included. They argue that the law is actually meant to make it more difficult for women choosing abortion to get services they need.
The state has no business depriving a woman of insurance for vital services that are already covered by most health plans, said ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri legal director Doug Bonney. If a woman and her doctor reach the decision that ending a pregnancy is the right choice for her and her family, she should have the peace of mind of knowing that her insurance will cover all of her medical needs.
Williams, Tiomothy. Kansas Judge Refuses to Block Abortion Law in the New York Times Sept 29, 2011. A14. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/us/kansas-judge-refuses-to-block-abortion-law.html?_r=1&ref=abortion
Wire Reports Staff Writer. Judge Refuses to Black Enforcement of Kansas Abortion Insurance Law in The Kansas City StarThursday Sept 29, 2011. < http://www.kansascity.com/2011/09/29/3175054/judge-refuses-to-block-enforcement.html>
Ibid.
