RNC Ends Insurance Coverage of Abortion for Employees

Late yesterday, Chairman Michael Steele told Republican National Committee (RNC) staff to immediately stop providing RNC employees with insurance coverage for elective abortion care. The coverage, through the insurance carrier Cigna, had been in place since 1991, according to a spokeswoman from the RNC. Steele’s decision came after details of the RNC’s coverage broke in the media this week.

Last weekend, all House Republicans except one, voted for an extreme anti-abortion amendment to health care reform, which would restrict insurance coverage of abortion. If the Stupak-Pitts Amendment is included in the final version of health care reform, women who get their health insurance through the Exchange could lose the opportunity to choose coverage for abortion care. Research shows that most typical employer-based plans currently cover abortions; so with the passage of Stupak-Pitts, millions of women could lose their access to safe, affordable abortion care.

Take action against this dangerous new restriction on women’s reproductive health care. Sign the Stop Stupak petition today!