Health insurance; essential health benefits, abortion coverage. (SB646)

Introduced By

Sen. Don McEachin (D-Richmond)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Essential health benefits; abortion coverage. Removes the prohibition on the provision of coverage for abortions in any qualified health insurance plan that is sold or offered for sale through a health benefits exchange established or operating in Virginia. Read the Bill »

Status

02/06/2014: Merged into SB618

History

DateAction
01/17/2014Presented and ordered printed 14101974D
01/17/2014Referred to Committee on Education and Health
01/23/2014Rereferred from Education and Health (11-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
01/23/2014Rereferred to Commerce and Labor
01/24/2014Impact statement from SCC (SB646)
02/03/2014Rereferred from Commerce and Labor (16-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/03/2014Rereferred to Education and Health
02/06/2014Incorporated by Education and Health (SB618-Locke) (15-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)

Duplicate Bills

The following bills are identical to this one: HB1186.

Comments

ACLU-VA Women's Rights and Reproductive Freedom, tracking this bill in Photosynthesis, notes:

The ACLU of Virginia supports this bill because it repeals a 2013 amendment by Governor McDonnell to HB1900 that prohibits insurance policies offered in the health exchange from covering abortion. It’s wrong for the government to take away insurance coverage for a legal medical procedure. Since insurance companies are willing to provide coverage, politicians shouldn’t interfere. Politicians should not be able to stop private insurance companies that want to cover abortion from doing so. We may not all feel the same way about abortion, but we should all agree that a woman who decides she needs an abortion deserves access to safe and legal medical care. A woman and her doctor should decide what care she needs, not politicians.

Diane Lange writes:

I am against this bill at it would undo the amendment to HB1900. The government should not be in the business of undoing every bill they do not like as soon as the political party changes.