Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed lots of new abortion restrictions this year. One of them was a law prohibiting health insurance companies in that state from covering abortion in comprehensive plans unless the procedure is necessary to save a woman's life. In other words, no exceptions for a woman's health or for victims of rape or incest.
Otherwise, under the new law, the only way abortion can be covered in Kansas is if women purchase a special abortion insurance rider that would be tacked on to their regular insurance policy for an additional cost.
But Kari Ann Rinker, the state coordinator for NOW, apart from objecting to the idea that women would have to purchase separate abortion-only insurance in the first place, says she has discovered that some insurance carriers (including hers) won't even be offering the riders described in the new law.
I called my insurance company only to find out that my insurance company will not offer an abortion rider for my insurance plan. There is now no way for me to obtain coverage within my insurance company for this legal, medical procedure. This is a direct result of the law. Quite simply, this law inserts politicians into health care, which results in bad health policy for all.
The ACLU filed a lawsuit, challenging the law today. Rinker, as an ACLU member, says she has joined the suit and is blogging about it today at RH Reality Check.
(BTW - those of you keeping track at home might remember Kari Ann Rinker from our trip to Kansas back in February -- that video is after the jump).
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