Romney Health Plan Linked to Abortion, Critics Claim

CNSNews ^ | January 08, 2008 | Pete Winn

[Ol' Sparky]

(CNSNews.com) - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney found himself over the weekend defending the near-universal health insurance plan he succeeded in implementing in 2006 as Massachusetts governor. It is a program, however, that some conservative pro-life leaders claim has had the consequence of advancing abortion and Planned Parenthood.

Romney answered questions about the plan from ABC's Charlie Gibson and fellow Republican candidates during the GOP debate at New Hampshire's St. Anselm College on Saturday. "A lot of people have ideas about health care and improving health care," Romney said.

"We took the ideas and actually made them work in our state, as people in New Hampshire know. We put in place a plan that gets every citizen in our state health insurance, and it didn't cost us new money. And it didn't require us to raise taxes," he said.

"What we found," he added, "was it was less expensive or no more expensive to help individuals who had been uninsured buy their own private policy than it had been for us to give out free care at the hospital."

Under the Commonwealth Care program, Massachusetts residents are required to buy health insurance from private insurers. The state helps residents earning up to 300% of poverty level ($61,956 for a family of four, $103,716 for a family of eight) buy insurance at a special rate. A companion program, Commonwealth Choice, offers private-sector alternatives for people whose income exceeds 300% of poverty level.

But two conservative pro-life leaders, both based in Michigan, say the Commonwealth Care insurance plan for the poor actually covers elective abortions - meaning that taxpayers indirectly fund the voluntary procedures.

"The two things that are most offensive to pro-life activists, is that it's a $50 co-pay for elective abortions - that is, abortions on demand - and the fact that the legislation designates that a Planned Parenthood representative must sit on the governing board of the health care plan," said activist Gary Glenn, who is also executive director of the American Family Association of Michigan.

No corresponding pro-life organization is given a position on the "connector" board - the governing board of the body which links citizens to insurance.

Planned Parenthood is one of the nation's largest and most successful abortion providers.

"Since abortions cost more than $50, the insurance covers the cost of the abortion - which means that the Romney care proposal spends tax dollars, or what amounts to taxpayer spending going for abortion," Glenn said.

Massachusetts pro-life leader Marie Sturgis defends the plan, saying that the Bay State was already under court order from the state's top court to pay for abortions for low-income women in cases of rape and incest.

"Certainly we have a problem with anything that provides abortion coverage," said Sturgis, who is executive director of Massachusetts Citizens for Life.

"However in this case, this is a state insurance plan - people are electing it - and normally many of these people would have their abortions provided for on the public welfare system by Medicaid. Now they're in a position where they may wind up paying for it themselves, rather taxpayers paying for it," she added.

But Jerry Zandstra, who heads the Pro-Life Federation of Michigan, said the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court didn't actually rule that taxpayers had to pay for abortions on demand - it only issued a decision in a case where abortion was "medically necessary.

"Even if it were true that his hands were tied - and it's not - a true pro-life governor would have fought that anyway," he said. "The state Supreme Court is not the end of the road. He certainly could have fought that through to the U.S. Supreme Court."

In the piece of legislation that became law, Zandstra said Romney utilized his veto pen more than a half-dozen times.

Calls to the Romney campaign were not returned by press time.

[massgopguy]

It’s not “near-universal”, it’s unconstitutional medi-fascism.

[FreedomProtector]

It’s not “near-universal”, it’s unconstitutional medi-fascism.

Exactly.

"Since abortions cost more than $50, the insurance covers the cost of the abortion - which means that the Romney care proposal spends tax dollars, or what amounts to taxpayer spending going for abortion," Glenn said.

[FreedomProtector]

Mitt Romney’s magical transformation, Oh I running in a Republican primary, I must re-brand myself a conservative is as phony as chocolate covered deer droppings. Mitt Romney is not real and genuine about anything other than saying whatever he needs to get elected.

Mitt Romney: A Massachusetts Liberal for President
http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/01/mitt_romney_a_massachusetts_li.html
Mitt Romney flip flops on Abortion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFMdK0TWtks

Romney does not support 2nd Amendment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzYTdM9b5F4

Romney on Abortion 2002
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pquznG4

Romney does not want to return to Reagan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pVqZzHm3Z4&feature=related

Mitt Romney Flip-Flops on hunting, abortion and iraq and dog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PURfrORhWPc

Romney Flip flops/Duncun Hunter sets the record straight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AffxIfq4LWQ

Duncan Hunter/Huckabee stand up to Clinton/Corrupt News Network plant/Romney flip-flops on gays in military
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU-AFU_OiFo

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney found himself over the weekend defending the near-universal health insurance plan he succeeded in implementing in 2006 as Massachusetts governor.

Abortion aside, why did Myth Romney foist off a socialistic mandated health insurance plan onto MA? This is the guy that somebody on some other thread was touting because he's created wealth and encouraged growth? Doing things like that sorta balances out anything Romney might have done as a CEO.

[zerosix]

"It's not my fault the .... Supreme Court made me do it!"

Where have I heard that whine before, just recently?

[street_lawyer]

“Massachusetts residents are required to buy health
insurance from private insurers.”
How great is it to have a product that consumers have to buy or else?

Just like auto insurance is compulsory, then the state begins to take away the right to sue for damages which are paid for by insurance companies.

[Salvation]

Romney the flip-flopper:

First for aobrtion, now against abortion. Go figure.

[Salvation]

Good cartoon. Romney definitely tries to talk out of both sides of his mouth. LOL!

[Salvation]

Right to Life folks should be voting for Thompson. Who else does interviews with small children on his lap?

[FreedomProtector]

Good cartoon. Romney definitely tries to talk out of both sides of his mouth. LOL!

This one funny as well--good humor is often rooted in truth.

[Colofornian]

Thanks for posting this Ol' Sparky.

From the article: Massachusetts pro-life leader Marie Sturgis defends the plan, saying that the Bay State was already under court order from the state's top court to pay for abortions for low-income women in cases of rape and incest. ...Jerry Zandstra, who heads the Pro-Life Federation of Michigan, said the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court didn't actually rule that taxpayers had to pay for abortions on demand - it only issued a decision in a case where abortion was "medically necessary. "Even if it were true that his hands were tied - and it's not - a true pro-life governor would have fought that anyway," he said. "The state Supreme Court is not the end of the road. He certainly could have fought that through to the U.S. Supreme Court."

On a FReeper thread just 2 days ago-- http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1949306/posts?q=1&;page=151 -- both Claudiustg & TheLion were obfuscating the $50 abortion matter in trying to repeatedly defend Romney, not bothering to mention that the court mandate only applied to court-mandated abortion coverage applied only to rape & incest cases. Here's what they said:

Because that was mandated by the court and not subject to negotiation. [claudiustg]

The $50 abortions were thrown in by a judge. Romney had nothing to do with it. [thelion]

Under normal circumstances, this would be a half truth they were telling. But since abortions due to rape & incest are significantly less than 1% of all abortions, their truth telling in this instance was of an equal percentage.

[XR7]

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Whoa! With the right voiceover, that photo is worth twenty Dukakis-in-a-tanks.

[Diamond]

That photo deserves its own "Caption This Pic" thread.

Cordially,

[Manic_Episode]

Luke 17:2

2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.