WASHINGTON -- The so-called Stupak amendment could have far-reaching effects: By prohibiting any federal funding for insurance plans providing abortions, it could drive up costs for the procedure, deny millions of women the right to coverage they can have now and virtually end insurance plans paying for abortions in the United States.

Several newspapers recently published opinion pieces regarding Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) amendment to the House health care reform bill (HR 3962). The amendment would prohibit abortion coverage in private and public health plans in the proposed health exchange that receive federal subsidies. Summaries appear below.

"A clear understanding of the structure of the health care proposals currently under consideration" in the House shows why Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) amendment to the chamber's health reform bill (HR 3962) "is such a threat to abortion rights," Jeffrey Toobin writes in a New Yorker opinion piece.

Abortion-rights activists were not caught unaware on the anti-abortion-funding amendment to the House health-care bill, and they are likely to stop it in the Senate.

Several newspapers recently included opinion pieces and an editorial regarding the House's approval of Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) amendment to the chamber's health reform bill (HR 3962). The amendment would prohibit public and private insurance plans that receive federal subsidies from offering abortion coverage. Summaries appear below.

Stupak amendment supporters should support a proposal that requires that at least one insurance policy on a state exchange include abortion coverage so long as another, identical policy does not include abortion coverage.

WASHINGTON -- The Stupak amendment could drive up costs for the procedure, deny millions of women the right to coverage they can have now and virtually end insurance plans paying for abortions in the United States.

Several newspapers recently published opinion pieces regarding an amendment sponsored by Reps. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) and Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) to the House health care reform bill (HR 3962) that would prohibit abortion coverage in private and public health plans that receive federal subsidies. Summaries appear below.

Rep. Bart Stupak's (D-Mich.) amendment to the House health reform bill (HR 3962) "could effectively eliminate insurance coverage of abortion services, not just for publicly funded insurance, but for most individual private plans as well," Brietta Clark and Karl Manheim, law professors at Loyola Law School-Los Angeles, write in a San Francisco Chronicle opinion piece.

The Stupak/Pitts Amendment was added to the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), which passed the House on November 7th. The amendment bans federal funding for abortions and bars payment of federal subsidies to health insurance products sold in exchanges that cover most medically indicated abortions.