2014 Senate Bill 1126

Authorize exception to ban on federal health care law abortion subsidies

Introduced in the Senate

Oct. 22, 2014

Introduced by Sen. Virgil Smith (D-4)

To allow health insurance companies to include coverage that pays for an abortion “to protect the mother’s health” in policies sold in Michigan through the federal health care law’s “exchange.” Under <a href="http://www.michiganvotes.org/2013-IL-1">voter-initiated legislation</a> enacted in 2013, insurers are prohibited from including abortion coverage in policies sold through the exchange, but may sell a policy “rider” for abortion coverage, for which individuals must pay themselves with no federal subsidy. The bill does not define “protect the mother’s health;” current law provides an exception allowing exchange policies to reimburse the cost of an abortion performed “to avert her death”.

Referred to the Committee on Insurance