Forbes on why
insurance companies like paying for abortion: "It's cheaper"
Well, this certainly cuts to the chase. From Forbes.com, yesterday:
Abortion has emerged again as a key sticking point
in negotiations over healthcare reform....
The fuss has exposed what's been a fairly quiet
practice: most
health plans now pay for abortions, no questions asked. Why? It saves
lots of money....
Insurance companies are loathe to comment on why
they pay for the
controversial procedure but if you're running the business by the
numbers, it's fairly obvious. An unwanted pregnancy is much more
inexpensive to terminate, compared to the cost of a delivery.
"A first trimester abortion is $300 to $450," [John]
Nugent [CEO of
Planned Parenthood of MD] says. "But if the gestational age is higher
you're paying for a surgical suite. That's why the insurance companies
think they should be offering it. It's cheaper to terminate an unwanted
pregnancy rather than taking it to term."
Health Care Blue Book confirms the price difference.
An abortion
performed in an physician's office typically costs $397. A vaginal
delivery costs $5,992, while a c-section is $8,558....
Don't expect the money arguments to get much airtime
in Washington,
even if the insurance companies have a financial stake in the outcome.
"They won't talk about it," Nugent says.
One more point not covered: The push to abort babies who are
handicapped, have birth defects, or are fatally or nonfatally ill is
largely for the same reason.
I'm also sure the bottom line is is in the back of every pro-abort
politicians mind. It's cheaper to off preborn babies than have Medicaid
pay for deliveries and well baby care - or worse, sick baby care.
Contact: Jill Stanek
Source:
jillstanek.com
Publish
Date:
January 8, 2010
Link
to
this
article.
Send
this
article
to a friend.
The IFRL is the largest grassroots pro-life organization in
Illinois. A non-profit organization, that serves as the state
coordinating body for local pro-life chapters representing thousands of
Illinois citizens working to restore respect for all human life in our
society. The IFRL is composed of people of different political
persuasions, various faiths and diverse economic, social and ethnic
backgrounds. Since 1973 the Illinois Federation for Right to Life has
been working to end abortion and restore legal protection to those members of the
human family who are threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. Diverse though we are, we hold one common belief - that
every human being has an inalienable right to life that is precious and must be protected. IFRL is
dedicated to restoring the right to life to the unborn, and protection
for the disabled and the elderly. Click here to learn more about the IFRL.