Approved: Texas Senate – Bill Restricting Insurance Coverage for Abortions

According to the Texas Tribune, the Texas senate approved the passing of a bill that stops insurance coverage for women who want to have an abortion. The bill was passed out on August 8th and it entails women to pay an added insurance premium for non-emergency abortions. Texas is the 11th state to pass out such a bill within the country.

The bill that was passed out entails the women of Texas to pay a separate health insurance premium so that they may acquire coverage for non-emergency abortions. This bill is close to becoming part of the law; however it is facing some sort of criticism. Many people who are opposing this bill have given it the name of “rape insurance.”

The senate has given an early consent to pass out the House Bill 214. This bill is made especially for women who may have an abortion. It calls for women to pay an extra insurance premium if they want their health insurance plan to cover any kind of abortion that is carried outside any medical emergencies. However these medical emergencies do not include problems such as fatal abnormalities, incest or rape.

The bill passed on a 20 – 10 vote, and is one of a measure of Governor Greg Abbott’s three abortion related priorities for the particular legislative session.  Once the senate has given its final approval for the bill, it will be sent to Greg Abbott for his consideration. By August 13th the bill had been approved by the senate and sent to Abbott for his final approval. Another abortion bill had also been passed out that entails health care and physical facilities that will report more information about abortion problems to the state.

The republicans who are in favor of passing this bill have stated that the opponents of abortion should not have to subsidize the course of action through their insurance plan. During a debate in the state house the state representative John Smithee, R-Amarillo the author of the bill stated that the bill is not meant for those people who get an abortion, however it is for those who are forced to pay for an abortion.

When a similar bill was passed out in an earlier session, they had mentioned the same statement and during that session the democrats tried to amend the bill by including the exceptions of rape, incest and fatal abnormalities. They stated that none of the women can know beforehand that they may need an abortion and that the measure would have an effect on women who have a low income background.

State senator Sylvia Garcia made a statement about how women cannot know that they may need an abortion and that they definitely don’t know whether or not they may be raped some day, nor can a  woman know if she may be sexually assaulted by any member of her family.  Moreover she also stated that they bill would coerce women into buying insurance against rape and incest.