Dear Colleagues, Representative Chris Smith has just recently introduced a profoundly important bill to Congress this week called the —‘Right to Know Act’ or formally H.R. 3279, the “Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act” [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"][see also http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=353542] Please contact your representatives and urge them to vote for this bill. The Congressional Prolife Caucus sent out this information on the bill: Pro-life Groups: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) is introducing the “Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act” TODAY. This bill would reverse the secrecy clause in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and require that all plans on the exchanges disclose whether or not the plan includes abortion. If the plan includes abortion, the plan must also disclose the amount of the abortion surcharge. If your organization supports this bill or if you have questions feel free to contact me atAutumnC@mail.house.gov or 202-225-7669 or Allison Hines at AllisonH@mail.house.gov or 202-226-0064. Background: Anyone who enrolls in a federally subsidized health care plan that covers elective abortions will pay a “abortion fee” of at least $1 per month into a fund to pay for abortion on demand (Section 1303(b)(2) of the ACA). In addition, under the secrecy clause, plans that cover abortion are only allowed to disclose the abortion surcharge “as a part of the summary of benefits and coverage explanation, at the time of enrollment” and information about the plan on the exchange may only list the total amount of the combined payments without specifying the surcharge (Section 1303(b)(3) of the ACA). Many families may choose a plan that covers abortion without realizing it or because that plan is the only one that covers the critical care that their family needs. The “Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act” amends the ACA to specify that plans must prominently disclose whether or not the plan includes abortion. In addition, if a plan includes abortion, the plan must disclose the amount of the abortion surcharge. Sincerely, Autumn Christensen Congressional Pro-life Caucus 2373 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 202-225-7669 A prominent lawyer from the Bioethics Defense Fund documented the misinformation being given by the government regarding abortion coverage. Most people would have blindly accepted the statement "Abortion coverage is not included in the ACA". However, this lawyer knew better, and pressed for an answer. See her chat with the government rep below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yg-egaSz4cZeTMoVpQR-xJwJmTM2QqmpmQ1-8UwildE/pub . This shows the necessity of the Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act. Here is BDF's latest legal brief that lays out the citations to the abortion premium mandate and the secrecy clause. http://bdfund.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/FILED-BDFLegatusAmicusLiberty4thCirFINAL.pdf AAPLOG commends Representative Smith in his efforts to remove the cloak of secrecy surrounding abortion funding in the mandatory exchanges. Another encouraging event comes surprisingly from the NYTimes. The NY Times is not often a source of encouragement for those who value life. However, their coverage of an art event is Quatar is well worth the time it takes to read the article. Check it out and be encouraged: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2013/10/07/arts/artsspecial/20131008SCULPTURE_Doha.html And, finally I want to thank the AAPLOG members who are making the Matching Funds project a success. We are almost a third of the way to our goal of $20,000! This match will continue until Dec 31,2013. Any member who gives over and above dues will have their gift matched from a fund created by the Board of Directors and an anonymous donor, up to a combined total of $20,000. Please consider a gift to AAPLOG in your year-end giving this year. For Life, Donna
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