ELECTIVE ABORTIONS: COVERAGE BY OPTIONAL RIDER ONLY
House Bill 4828
Sponsor: Rep. Lauren Hager
House Bill 4829
Sponsor: Rep. Mark Jansen
House Bill 4830
Sponsor: Rep. Robert Gosselin
Committee: Insurance and Financial
Services
Complete to 10-8-99
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILLS 4828-4830 AS INTRODUCED 6-17-99
The bills would amend three health insurance-related statutes to specify that health insurers and similar entities could not provide coverage for elective abortions except as an optional rider selected by the individual. The bill would require that either 1) the individual pay an additional premium for the coverage; or 2) the individual consent in writing to the premium for the coverage being paid by a group purchaser.
House Bill 4828 would amend the Nonprofit Health Care Corporation Reform Act (MCL 550.1402c), which applies to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan. House Bill 4829 would amend the Public Health Code (MCL 333. 21053f) to apply to health maintenance organizations (HMOs). House Bill 4830 would apply to the Insurance Code (MCL 500.3407b) to apply to commercial health insurance companies. Each bill would apply to both group and non-group coverage. The bills would apply to policies, certificates, and contracts issued or renewed after the effective date of the bills.
The term "elective abortion" would mean the intentional use of an instrument, drug, or other substance or device to terminate a woman's pregnancy for a purpose other than to increase the probability of a live birth, to preserve the life or health of the child after live birth, or to remove a dead fetus. The term would not include: 1) the prescription of or use of a drug or device intended as a contraceptive; or 2) the intentional use of an instrument, drug, or other substance or device by a physician to terminate a woman's pregnancy if the woman's physical condition, in the physician's reasonable medical judgment, necessitated the termination of the woman's pregnancy to avert her death.
The bill states that it does not create a right to abortion and specifies that, notwithstanding any of the bill's provisions, a person shall not perform an abortion that is prohibited by law.
Analyst: C. Couch