25 Canyon Road, Morgantown, WV 26508
304-594-9845 / email: wvforlife@labs.net / archive2.wvforlife.org
For immediate release: For more information:
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 Mary Anne Buchanan, Communications Director (304) 594-9845
Abortion is NOT Health Care Petitions to be Presented
At Tuesday, September 24 Press Conference in Charleston
West Virginians for Life will launch a grassroots effort to call for a ban on tax-payer funding for abortions in the new health care exchange. The first of the petitions being collected from all parts of the state demonstrate that West Virginians want to opt out of abortion in the new WV Health Care Exchange. They will be presented in the lower rotunda of the Capitol on Tuesday, September 24 at 11:00 a.m.
The legislation to restrict abortion in the new health care exchange failed to pass either chamber during the 2013 Legislative Session. The only option left was for West Virginians for Life to request that the Governor either hold a special session to enact legislation or ask the Insurance Commissioner to enact a rule change to restrict abortion funding in the exchange. To-date the Governor has not taken action. WVFL’s request is reasonable, is permitted under the Affordable Care Act, and has already been put into place in nearly half the states.
“Our plan is to take abortion coverage out of the exchange, except when it is needed to protect the life of the mother. If a person wants abortion coverage, then they are free to seek that coverage outside of the exchange,” stated Legislative Coordinator John Carey.
The presentation of these petitions, collected from all corners of the state, is evidence that West Virginians really care about taxpayer funding of abortion. West Virginians are pro-life and want their legislators to do what can be done to restrict abortion funding in the Mountain State. West Virginians for Life is calling on State Government to take action before October 1, when the health care exchange is scheduled to go into effect. However, if State Government refuses to act, WVFL will continue this fight through the 2014 legislative session.
West Virginians already pay through state Medicaid to end the life of a child in the state’s abortion facilities. They must not now be asked to fund abortions through ObamaCare.
WVFL President Dr. Wanda Franz has said, “Abortion is not health care and should not be part of our health care system. It does not heal, but, rather, kills an innocent child.”