SARASOTA, FL -- A new commercial is taking aim at Senators crafting a health care reform bill.
The pro-choice group, The Center for Reproductive Rights, starts their commercial with a standup comedian telling stories about insurance covering plastic surgeries.
But her punch line is no joke. "She says doc, I'm 11 weeks pregnant. My baby has an encephalopathy, parts of its brain and skull is missing and it's fatal. Does my insurance cover an abortion? And the doctor says, no it doesn't."
The Center for Reproductive Rights ends their ad with this statement: "Don’t let Congress ban abortion coverage millions of women already have."
The statement is a direct blow to how the House health care reform bill addresses abortion. But, we found it's only somewhat true.
The Stupak amendment to the bill blocks abortion coverage for women who purchase subsidized insurance on the new public exchange. Women could purchase supplemental insurance with their own money to cover abortions.
The amendment does provide for some exceptions including if the mothers life is in jeopardy, rape and incest.
The amendment doesn't make any changes to private insurance plans outside of the exchange.
But Barbara Zdravecky with Planned Parenthood of southwest Florida says the language could have far reaching consequences for all women.
"If they are part of a small employer group who goes to the exchange for a different type of program that might be more inexpensive, they won't be able to access, even if they're paying with their own money the same kind of care that they currently have," Zdravecky says.
The Stupak amendment was added to the House bill only hours before it passed. Several anti-abortion groups, including Right to life, have and continue to clamor about tax dollars funding abortions.
"Once the Federal government collects the premiums for the health insurance and they're paying it, they're federal funds," says Dr. Carl Pflug with Right to Life of Hillsborough County.
And now both sides are threatening the future of health care reform, something weighing heavily on the senate.
To watch the entire commercial, click
here.
