ReproWrites: Abortion under the new health care plan

Prior to the release of the new health care bill, President Trump tried to make a deal with Planned Parenthood that said he would allow them to keep all of their federal funding under the new health care bill if they agreed to stop performing abortions. Planned Parenthood immediately shot down his proposal. They recognized this offer for what it was, a blatant attempt to restrict access to abortion.

President Trump’s proposed restriction showed his administration’s true priorities when it comes to health care. By threatening to take federal funding away from Planned Parenthood if they don’t stop performing one of their services, Trump proved that ending abortion is more important to him than the other, potentially life-saving health care services they provide.

It is not a president’s place to attempt to regulate which medical procedures an establishment can and cannot perform based solely on their personal preferences. That would be similar to a health inspector closing down every restaurant that serves spinach just because he doesn’t like the taste. 

It’s unfair, ridiculous and a clear abuse of power.

So what did Planned Parenthood’s rejection of Trump’s deal do in terms of the final draft of the new health care plan that was released last week? The fallout will take several different forms.

Planned Parenthood, and any other medical center that provides abortions for any reason other than rape, incest or for the life of the mother, will be identified as a “prohibited entity.” All states will experience a freeze for one year on government funding that goes to these prohibited entities. This includes their ability to get reimbursements from the government for providing care to those on Medicaid, making them unable to do so. Since Medicaid currently can’t pay for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest or for the life of the mother, due to the Hyde Amendment, taking away Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid funding will only restrict their ability to provide other services like preventative care. That is further proof that the invaluable services organizations like Planned Parenthood provide, from cancer screenings to birth control, are less important to the Trump administration than their crusade against abortion.

Another way the new health care plan targets those in need of an abortion has to do with tax credits. The GOP has proposed using refundable tax credits to help people purchase insurance. Those tax credits would not be able to be used on insurance plans that cover abortion, making it essentially impossible for people who can’t afford to either pay for an abortion out of pocket or pay for an insurance plan that covers it without the tax credits to have an abortion. That may also give insurance companies an incentive to stop covering abortion at all.

If passed, the new health care bill could have disastrous consequences for abortion. The Trump administration showed its hand last week in regard to reproductive health care, the lives of individuals that benefit from any of the services organizations like Planned Parenthood offer are less valuable to them than their quest to end abortion.

Karinne Hill is a sophomore studying sociology-criminology and women's gender and sexuality studies at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. How do you feel about the new health care bill? Let Karinne know by tweeting her @karinnehill.