[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
IN SUPPORT OF INCLUSION OF FULL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES AS PART OF 
                    UNIFORM HEALTH BENEFITS PACKAGE

  (Mr. MORAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support 
the inclusion of full reproductive health care services for women in 
any uniform national health benefits package that is mandated as part 
of health care reform.
  All women should have the opportunity to make decisions about their 
own reproductive health. They must also have the ability to act on such 
decisions through access to the full range of reproductive health 
services including contraception, prenatal care, and abortion.
  Most private health insurance plans and health maintenance 
organizations currently cover abortion services as part of reproductive 
health care for women. In fact, over 78 million women now have 
insurance coverage for abortion services, including Members of 
Congress, their spouses and all Federal workers, under the Federal 
Employee Health Benefit Plan. We are not talking about adding a new 
health benefit for women; we are continuing coverage of a health 
benefit that most women already have. To eliminate any component of 
reproductive health care for women is discriminatory.
  Abortion is one of the most commonly performed and safest surgical 
procedures performed on women in this country. According to insurance 
industry analysts, unlike experimental drugs and new medical 
treatments, abortion is a safe and proven procedure. It is neither a 
social nor a political issue for the health insurance industry and it 
should stay that way. Increased access to safe and legal abortions has 
resulted in unquestioned health benefits for women.
  Exclusion of abortion from a uniform health benefits package will 
deny many women access to safe and legal abortion services. Only women 
who can afford to purchase services outside of the benefits package 
will have access to abortion services.
  Universal access to abortion services is one of the most 
controversial and emotional issues in the debate on health care reform. 
Regardless of our individual beliefs about abortion, it is 
unconscionable that Congress should impede any woman from making what 
is a difficult, highly personal and private decision.
  I also respect the right of all individuals to make informed choices, 
including the right of health care providers to choose not to 
participate in interventions that conflict with their own religious, 
moral, or ethical beliefs.
  I urge Members to consider this resolution and support it.

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