Abortion organizations peeved at Obama, want high risk insurance plans to cover abortion

In response to National Right to Life showing that the federally subsidized high risk insurance plans in both Pennsylvania and New Mexico would cover elective abortions, Health and Human Services Department spokeswoman Jenny Backus tried to squelch the fire.

"In all our PCIP plans, abortions will not be covered except in the cases of rape, incest or where the life of the mother would be endangered," said Jenny Backus. The department is working on guidance to make those restrictions explicit to states and insurance plans.

This hasn't made Planned Parenthood and NARAL happy campers. Planned Parenthood issued a press release statement from President Cecile Richards stating,

“Based on the Obama administration’s statement, we are deeply disappointed that the administration has voluntarily and unnecessarily decided to impose limits on private funds used to purchase health insurance coverage for abortion care in the new high-risk insurance pools....

This decision has no basis in the law and flies in the face of the intent of the high-risk pools that were meant to meet the medical needs of some of the most vulnerable women in this country."

Nancy Keenan and NARAL were also upset that elective abortion apparently now won't be included.

Abortion is the most common surgical procedure women receive," Keenan said. "At a time when the country is on the cusp of implementing nationwide health-insurance coverage, it is unacceptable to treat abortion care differently in the new high-risk pools.