FRC Urges Health Advisory Panel to Oppose Mandates for Abortion or Contraceptives in Obamacare

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Jeanne Monahan, director of Family Research Council's Center for Human Dignity, will speak today before the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Preventive Services for Women and call for the exclusion of abortion or contraceptives in the new health care law and thereby to the conscience rights of all Americans.

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In her statement, Monahan will offer the following comments:

"The committee should not recommend the inclusion of abortion as a means of preventing pregnancy. FRC rejects any suggestion that 'abortion is healthcare' or that pregnancy is a disease. Including abortion, whether medical or surgical, as a mandated, free-of-charge preventive care service would further expand abortion in the health care law and undermine the conscience rights of many in the health care profession.

"Family Research Council also urges the Institutes of Medicine and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to exclude contraceptives and protect the conscience rights of health insurers, providers and participants who object to contraceptives. Fertility, like pregnancy, is not a disease.

"By their very nature, contraceptive services are elective and not medically necessary. They should not be placed in the same category as other basic types of medical care. Additionally, several drugs that have been approved by the FDA to be categorized legally as 'emergency contraceptives' can destroy a pre-born baby before and after implantation.

"Any mandates on abortion coverage would expand taxpayer funding for abortion, and inclusion of contraceptives would undermine conscience protections that President Obama promised would be maintained," Monahan concluded.

SOURCE Family Research Council