The Freedom From Religion Foundation is strenuously opposing the Trump-Pence administration’s latest bald-faced attack on women’s reproductive rights.
The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) released a proposed rule that would require Affordable Care Act marketplace plans to send consumers a separate “abortion bill” each month, representing the share of their premium going toward covering abortion services. Consumers would be required to pay this bill separately. In other words, instead of paying one premium each month, CMS will force consumers to pay two separate bills for the same premium.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has formally commented on the proposed rule, insisting that it not be implemented.
“The proposed rule is camouflaged as a supposed protection for rights of conscience necessary to bring practice into compliance with the law. Neither is true,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor in her letter to the department.“This rule is most assuredly not about protecting rights of conscience. It is promulgated for the opposite reason: to stigmatize women for exercising their constitutional right to choose when and whether to become a mother.”
FFRF also issued a national action alert urging its membership and others to chime in against this preposterous proposal.
This proposed rule is indeed burdensome, and unnecessary, for both the customer and insurer. This rule will drive up costs and hassle for insurance companies and payees for no legitimate reason, FFRF points out.
“The true motive of this proposed rule is obvious: This is an attempt to turn public opinion against insurance coverage and access to safe medical care to end unwanted pregnancies,” Gaylor continues.
It is clear, FFRF contends, that the true motive behind this rule is to advance religion, specifically objections to abortion by conservative or evangelical Christianity, over a women’s right to make decisions about her own medical care.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with more than 32,000 members across the country, including in every state. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
