Healthcare should cover abortion. However, they should limit it to like 1 abortion for every 3 years, so people aren't using it as a form of birth control.

i think abortions should be covered like any other medical emergency. If it's legal where you live, it should be covered by some sort of health insurance. blah blah blah it's a choice, so I running a red and getting hit by a car, but we don't outlaw stupidity. I realize my argument is easily fought, but it's like making it harder for women to get their hands on birth control. It will only lead to more people having children when they're not ready, or shouldn't be.

they shouldnt be covered, its elective . In cases of emergency as in the mothers life is in danger, than yes they should be covered. I dont want my tax dollars covering abortions.

I had to pay for my own rhinoplasty even though i had a deviated septum, although my septoplasty was covered.

I don't believe the government should necessarily ban federal money from covering abortions (or abortions for that matter). I had no idea that such a large percentage of insurers do cover them.

Medicaid and Medicare are very strict on what they cover and how much they reimburse. I definitely agree that state and federal funds should be distributed judiciously.

I wonder if they will decide to cover it based on an individual case. It wouldn't surprise me if they don't cover it.

@ flickster, abortion should not be a form of birth control. While hormonal methods of BC can be expensive, condoms are inexpensive and readily available in most places. Often, there are clinics where you can get condoms for free (PP, campus medical centers, etc...).

I am pro-choice, but also believe in personal responsibility. If two people are going to have sex, it is their responsibility to make sure they use protection. Tax payers should not have to pay for an irresponsible couples mistake. If abortions are going to become part of the medicaid program, they should set the limit to one abortion per woman on medicaid and educate her about safe sex. If there is an instance of rape or incest, then obviously the limits on this could change accordingly.

I'm assuming that as is the case with most medical procedures, insurers that do cover abortion do not write a blank check for unlimited abortions. Just something to think about.

I don't have a problem with them being covered, as long as it's not at all frequent, like some commenters have mentioned above. Otherwise, I don't see the problem.

The American government doesn't give it's citizen's crap for medical care anyway. But if we someday do get it, then yes, it should be funded.

I think it should but with rules or stipulations exercised. A set amount or a mandatory meeting with a doctor discussing birth control options after the first abortion. I wouldn't ask the government to pay for my birth control accident to begin with since it was my fault. The federal government should see prevention and abortion cheaper than the cost of having a child.

"I'm assuming that as is the case with most medical procedures, insurers that do cover abortion do not write a blank check for unlimited abortions. Just something to think about."

I'm pretty sure on my insurance I can have an unlimited number of babies.

I really think abortions are immoral, but since they are currently legal, it's a lot cheaper for the government to pay for a woman's abortion than pay for her prenatal care, delivery, and then for the child's health care. However, I think after the first abortion, women should have to jump through a few hoops before they can get another one, like taking a mandatory birth control seminar, etc.

I agree with the people who say that it seems unfair that the people's tax dollars go to pay for irresponsible mistakes. However, if the woman does end up getting an abortion, she should definitely have to learn about birth control, but if having a child threatens the life of the mother, I think abortions should be covered. I'm not sure if that all makes sense, but it seems like the simplest way to express my opinion.

Hmm. I could've sworn when I was reading the website of Planned Parenthood, they say you can use medicaid for abortion. I need to reread, since perhaps I was wrong.

My first thought was "of course it shouldn't be coverd... it's an elective procedure" then I thought about the women who need them for health reasons, so I thought "only times when the woman's life/health is in danger", then I thought, what about women who have been raped? "so I thought, no coverage, except for women with health concerns or who have been prosecuting an aleged rapist" but then I thought "it's bad enough that some women cry rape and get guys imprisoned just because they are mad at their ex, don't want to add this to the pot". So... conclusively: they should be covered, because the negatives of them not being outweigh the postitives.

However, after every abortion, women should be forced to take a manditory sex-ed class, AND after the first, it gets progressively harder to get coverage/an abortion in general to deter women using it for birth control.

A girl I know terminated a pregnancy 6 months ago and it was completely covered by her insurance, I don't remember which kind she had. I remember cringing because she used the word "convenient." I just didn't want that anywhere in the same sentence as abortion. She was totally irresponsible over and over again, rarely uses protection and sleeps around. She's someone that I would want to be injected with Depo- Provera by the government every day of her life. I agree that we're talking about an elective procedure. Abortion will still be legal (as far as we know) for rape victims etc. they will just have to pay for it, there's no perfect answer. Really I think birth control pills should be handed out like candy is on Halloween.

I believe the government should stay out of women's uterus (is that the proper plural? Maybe Uteri?) 1000%.
That means, hard as it sounds... No. Abortion should not be covered by any kind of government healthcare program.

Think about it, the second that the government starts paying or abortions...it means that every year when a politician, (Republican OR Democrat, thank you.) will start using this as a political football.

Also, a universal healthcare program, just like Medicare and Medicaid, would be paid for by all (taxpaying) Americans, and there are people who would object to paying for abortions for their own personal reasons, AND because they would not want to sponsor irrisponsiable behavior from people like the girl Sham28 just mentioned.

If two people decide they are old enough/mature/responsible/love each other enough/in the mood/ to have sex.
Then they'd better be able to afford Birth control, Condoms, all kinds of spermicidal lubricants AND have enough money in the bank to pay for an abortion if all else fails.
And No, I'm not saying poor people can't have sex... but ladies, go to your planned parenthood office if you can't afford anything else and get yourself outfitted.

If women want to make abortion less of a hot button issue... keep it off the government's tabs.

Another scary thought: would any woman who has had the procedure want the knowledge of the exact number of abortions they have had out there for other people to read and judge?

This is about privacy and patients rights.
Women should not let the wool of financial ease be pulled over there eyes on this one. (Mind you I'm no fan of abortion at all... but if a woman needs this service she darn well better be smart and safe about it.)

Sorry for the mini essay...

If it's a legal medical procedure, I think it should be covered. The only reason it's not is because it's become a sensationalized procedure. It seems to me that the American government cares more about moralizing about the activities of American citizens than about providing them with healthcare. It's sad because it IS poor women who will suffer ultimately.

The only part of this that troubles me, is this program is paid with my tax dollars and I do not support the act of abortion. While I do have a pro life stance, I can understand a private business deciding whether it should be included or not.

Well said in comment 15!

I don't think the government (health insurance or whoever) should reward stupidity. If you're not going to practice safe sex and you don't want a baby, then you should take responsibility for your own actions. Not trying to be rude here, but it's JMHO. If it's a "real medical emergency" such as a tubal ligation or something like that, then I can see where health insurance would cover it, since the mother's life would be in danger.

Veka...reward stupidity? really? what if the woman was raped? thats pretty messed up, might as well say she asked for it for being so stupid. I

Abortion is not like any other medical procedure. In the majority of abortion cases, the mother's health is not even an issue nor is it the result of rape. Abortion is more of a convinience or financial issue. Which is cheaper in the long run having a baby or not having a baby....

My brother was a high risk pregnancy and my mother's doctor insisted vigorously that she get an abortion, but she refused and had faith in God. And guess what? He was born prematurely yet to this day he is one of the happiest healthiest and sweetest people on this earth. And my mother is fine however, she had to get a hysterectomy because she was always growing cysts in her ovaries, poor thing.