National Right to Life Releases Report, "The Affordable Care Act and Health Care Access in the United States"

From the National Right to Life Committee: 

“THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND HEALTH CARE ACCESS
IN THE UNITED STATES”
National Right to Life Releases New Report
Examining the Effect of the Affordable Care Act in the United States

WASHINGTON – With a March 31, 2014, deadline impending for open enrollment in the insurance exchanges established by “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (also known as Obamacare), the Robert Powell Center for Medical Ethics at the National Right to Life Committee today issued a new report, “The Affordable Care Act and Health Care Access in the United States.” The report analyzes four fundamental policy areas of Obamacare and concludes that they will drastically limit access to life-saving medical treatment under the law. These four areas include: the “excess benefit” tax coming into effect in 2018, the current exclusion of adequate health Insurance plans from the exchanges, present limits on senior citizens’ ability to use their own money for health insurance, and federal limits on the care doctors give their patients to be implemented as soon as 2016.

“For pro-life Americans concerned about the impact on innocent human life—both born and unborn—the policies of Obamacare couldn’t be worse,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “Americans are just as concerned with the law’s impact on our ability to access life-saving medical treatment for ourselves, our family members, and our loved ones as with Obamacare’s funding of abortions. Obamacare is bad medicine for America.”

Since it was first debated in Congress, National Right to Life’s Powell Center for Medical Ethics has argued that key provisions of Obamacare would limit what Americans could spend—out of their own funds—to access life-saving medical treatment. As the Center’s new report concludes, Americans will see a significant shift in how they are able to access health care, and just what types of treatment they will be able to obtain.

As documented by media reports and the language of the law itself, Obamacare will limit access to life-saving treatment in four different ways:

1. Obamacare imposes a 40% excise tax on employer-paid health insurance premiums above a governmentally imposed limit that does not keep up with medical inflation. Consequently, insurance companies will be forced to impose increasingly severe restraints on policy-holders’ access to medical diagnosis and treatment—limits that will make it harder to get often-expensive treatments essential to combatting life-threatening illnesses.

2. Under Obamacare, consumers using the exchanges may only choose plans offered by insurers who do not allow their customers to spend what government bureaucrats deem an “excessive or unjustified” amount for their health insurance – regardless of whether the insurers offer such plans inside or outside of the exchanges established by the law.

3. Most senior citizens know that the law will significantly cut government funding for Medicare, but they may not be aware of the law’s provision allowing Washington bureaucrats to prevent them from making up the Medicare shortfall with their own funds by limiting their right to spend their own money to obtain insurance less likely to limit treatments that could save their lives.

4. The “Independent Payment Advisory Board” is directed to recommend measures to limit spending on health care to a growth rate below medical inflation – not just for Medicare, but also for all private, nongovernmental health care spending. The federal Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is then authorized to implement these measures by placing limits on the treatments providers may give their patients by requiring them to abide by so-called “quality and efficiency standards” imposed by HHS.

“Obamacare authorizes Washington bureaucrats to create one uniform, national standard of care that is designed to limit what private citizens are allowed to spend to save their own lives,” stated Burke Balch, J.D., director of the Robert Powell Center for Medical Ethics. “We are convinced most Americans do not believe that the government should limit the right of Americans to use their own money for health care necessary to save their lives. Yet, that is exactly what Obamacare does. ”

The report is available from the National Right to Life Communications Department here:www.nrlc.org/communications/healthcarereport.

Founded in 1968, National Right to Life, the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

February Recap

February was a short month, but there was a lot going on!

1. Attorney General Confirms State Will Appeal Abortion Ultrasound Law

Image Source: National Right to Life

On February 7, Attorney General Roy Cooper said the state will appeal the recently rejected abortion ultrasound law. This provision, part of the 2011 Women's Right to Know Act, would require an abortionist to display and describe the ultrasound to each woman seeking an abortion. Although ultrasounds were previously required by the state and are already standard procedures before abortions, in January Judge Catherine Eagles issued a permanent injunction against the provision, stating that requiring doctors to describe the images violated their freedom of speech rights. 

Ultrasounds are high on the list of controversial sub-topics when it comes to abortion, but they are vital to an expectant woman's decision-making process. Too often, mothers are ignorant of their unborn babies' development, and having the opportunity to witness for themselves what their children look like at 8 weeks could influence their decision. What they see on the screen is not someone else's opinion, but a factual representation of pre-born life. Many post-abortive women say that if they had only known the truth about their baby, they would not have chosen abortion.

NCRTL president Barbara Holt expressed her approval of the Attorney General's decision. "We are pleased that Attorney General Roy Cooper has decided to defend NC's ultrasound law in spite of his opposition to the pro-life provision.  A mother has the right to an opportunity to see an ultrasound image of her unborn child and to hear her baby's heartbeat in advance of an abortion.  How else can she make a fully informed decision to have the abortion, which will take the life of her unborn child?  This is critically important information about her developing unborn child which many mothers who later regret their abortions say they wish they had been given at the time of their abortions."

2. Thanks

Our February 8th campaign to thank our pro-life legislators was a success! Almost 500 people saw our Facebook post, and many others saw our tweets.Thank you to everyone who shared our graphic on Facebook, tweeted #NC4Life and #ProLifeNC, and contacted your pro-life elected officials in support and appreciation. We know they were grateful to hear from us! 

Please continue to support your pro-life legislators in the coming year, and remember to vote pro-life! 

3. Choose Life Plates

On February 11, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that North Carolina's "Choose Life" license plate is unconstitutional because a pro-abortion plate was not also permitted. North Carolina Right to Life and other pro-life groups remain hopeful that a "Choose Life" plate will eventually be offered in North Carolina. 

Barbara Holt commented, "The 'Choose Life' plate simply affirms childbirth, in which the state has legitmate interest. Thanks to our current legislature, to help vulnerable mothers, the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship is receiving $250,000 through a special budget apppropriation to make up for those funds being lost from the sale of the plates because of the litigation and this ruling."

We're Saying Thanks

The legislature may not be in session, but it's never a bad time to say "thanks" to the men and women who do so much to protect the dignity of life in North Carolina. 

On Saturday, Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups will have a "Moral March" in Raleigh. Not only are they busing in NC college students, they're also bringing in people from out of state. Why? Because North Carolina is one of the leading states in protecting babies and mothers from abortion, and they don't like that. Let's take advantage of this to remind our pro-life legislators that we're PROUD of their hard work! 

In recent years, our General Assembly has passed the following pro-life laws:

• Woman's Right to Know
• Unborn Victims of Violence Act (Ethen's Law)
• SB353
  -Opt out of abortion in Obamacare and the city/county employee health plans
  -Ban sex selection abortions
  -Ban webcam abortions

Do your part. Thank your pro-life General Assembly members*. Please take a few moments to write a note, send an email, or make a phone call. Representatives' contact information can be found here, and senators' contact information is here. These elected officials face a great deal of criticism for their defense of the unborn, and they need to hear our appreciation!

You can also join us as we tweet #NC4Life and #ProLifeNC on Saturday in recognition of all their efforts to stand for life! When you tweet, be sure to use @thomtillis, @PatMcCroryNC, or @SenatorBerger, as well as the names of any other pro-life legislators on Twitter. 

Unsure who to contact? Here are some suggestions: 

• Speaker of the House Thom Tillis
• President Pro Tempore Phil Berger 
• Governor Pat McCrory (signed SB353 into law)
• Those who voted "aye" on SB353
  -Senators
  -Representatives

*All Republican members, with the exception of Representative Charles Jeter and Senator Bill Rabon, voted pro-life. Unfortunately, no Democrats voted for our newly-passed 2013 laws. 

H.R. 7, No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, Passes House

On January 28, 2014, the U.S. House passed H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act with a 227-188 vote. The following commentary is taken from National Right to Life's commentary on the bill's passage: 

H.R. 7, sponsored by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-Il.), would codify the principles of the Hyde Amendment on a permanent, government-wide basis, applicable to both longstanding federal health programs and to the new programs created by Obamacare. Under the bill, health plans that cover

elective abortions would not qualify for federal subsidies, although such plans could still be sold to those who wish to purchase them with personal funds.
On today’s vote on passage, the bill was supported by 221 Republicans and six Democrats. It was opposed by one Republican and 187 Democrats, many of whom echoed attacks on the bill found in a veto threat issued by the White House.

“The White House veto threat demonstrates yet again that President Obama is engaging in establishing massive federal subsidies for abortion on demand, notwithstanding his evasions and denials,” said National Right to Life President Carol Tobias. “The 188 House members who voted against the bill will be firmly marked as supporters of federal funding for elective abortion.”

Further details on specific components of H.R. 7 are found in NRLC’s January 24 letter to the House of Representatives (http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/ahc/NRLCToHouseHR7.pdf). More extensive documentation on the abortion-expanding provisions of Obamacare, and the overall history of limitations on federal subsidies for abortion, are found in NRLC’s congressional testimony at http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/ahc/ProtectLifeActDouglasJohnsonTestimony.pdf.

North Carolinians should be proud of the nine House members who voted "yes" on the bill. Congressman Mark Meadows (R-11), one of the bill's supporters, gave a short but moving pro-life testimony during the debate. You can watch that speech here and see the votes below. Please contact your representatives to thank them for their "yes" votes! Being pro-life in Congress isn't easy, and they need your support. 

How the U.S. House from North Carolina voted: voted    � Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-1) N    � Rep. Howard Coble (R-6) Y    � Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-2) Y    � Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-5) Y    � Rep. George Holding (R-13) Y    � Rep. Richard Hudson (R-8) Y    � Rep. Walter Jones (R-3) NV    � Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-10) Y    � Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-7) Y    � Rep. Mark Meadows (R-11) Y    � Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-9) Y    � Rep. David Price (D-4) N

NCRTL News, Delivered to Your Inbox

Did you know NCRTL sends out email alerts and web newsletters? We do! Our e-alerts are great for keeping up to date with the latest pro-life happenings in North Carolina. 

When the General Assembly is not in session, we send out biweekly email newsletters packed full of news, information about upcoming events, blog posts, and anything else we think you should know. It's an easy way to stay informed, and because we only send them every two weeks, you won't feel overwhelmed with emails. 

During the legislative sessions, we send out action alerts so that you know exactly what's happening with our pro-life legislation. You'll learn about the bills we're supporting or opposing, as well as what you can do to help. Sometimes all we need is for our grassroots supporters to call their legislators about a particular bill, but if something really important is happening, we may ask you to come to the Legislative Building for a pro-life presence!

Last summer, our legislation drew so much attention that Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups rallied and lobbied in pink T-shirts, so we asked our supporters to come in wearing blue. We sponsored a Pro-Life Information and Lobby Day in April, and when our bills were up for vote later in the summer, we urged everyone to show their support by sitting in the galleries during debates. 

Signing up for e-alerts is a simple first step in becoming more acquainted with NCRTL's life-saving work. If you've ever wanted to be more knowledgeable about North Carolina's pro-life activity or more active in the movement, consider signing up!

We're Publishing a Resource Book!

Do you ever wish you had a list of all the pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, or adoption agencies at your fingertips? Want to read the text of a pro-life law and see whether your representative voted for it? Need a chart of statistics related to abortion in North Carolina, or maybe some fact sheets to study up on an issue?

Look no further! In January 2014, NCRTL will be releasing its updated Resource Book, a helpful and handy compilation of all kinds of pro-life information. Everything you may need to educate yourself or a friend will be bound into one convenient book available to anyone who wants one. 

It's cheap, too! We're only asking a donation of $10 for each book. Not only does this money go to a great cause, it also buys you a valuable resource that you can use for years! 

Another great feature of the NCRTL Resource Book is that it features ads from local businesses and organizations, so you can find other pro-life members of your community to support. If you know of a church, business, or individual you think would like an ad in our book, tell them to contact us. Advertisers get a free copy! 

So if you're interested in finding out more, pre-ordering a book, or advertising your organization, check out our website! http://ncrtl.org/resource-book/

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act Introduced in the Senate

Yesterday, November 7, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in the Senate. This law, which passed in the House in June, would protect unborn children after 20 weeks old, the age at which medical and scientific evidence agrees that babies can feel pain.

As medical technology continues to develop, an increasing number of studies indicate that preborn children are fully capable of experiencing pain by no later than 20 weeks after fertilization. Doctors also have reason to believe that at this stage of life, babies feel pain more intensely than do adults or even newborns because they have not had the time to develop resistance to pain. It should come as no surprise to pro-lifers that our country holds a curious double-standard when it comes to the unborn. Premature infants, for example, are treated like any other patient even as other babies their age are being aborted. Earlier this year, Americans were horrified to learn that abortionist Kermit Gosnell's preferred method was nothing short of infanticide...but only because he delivered his tiny victims first. During fetal surgery, doctors provide both mother and child with anesthesia.  

Even former abortionists admit that they witnessed the babies' distress during the abortions they performed. This, of course, should be obvious: abortions after the first trimester are all surgical, and the babies are literally ripped apart limb by limb. Not only is this a gruesome way to die, it's barbaric, especially considering the excruciating pain they must experience in the process. 

You can see why the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act is so very important, so please help in any way you can! Here are some suggestions:

1) Educate yourself. Websites like nrlc.org and doctorsonfetalpain.com are both good places to start learning about fetal development, abortion procedures, and fetal pain.

2) Educate others. Share what you've learned! Talk to your friends and family members, re-post graphics and facts on Facebook, pin this on Pinterest, tweet using #TheyFeelPain, and whatever else it takes to inform others about the pain babies feel during abortions.

3) Sign the petition. Let Congress know you approve of legislation protecting pain-capable children! http://thepainlesspetition.com/

4) Contact your Senators and tell them you support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. You can also thank Senator Richard Burr, who co-sponsored this landmark piece of legislation!

Texas, North Carolina, and Pro-Life Legislation

It was a crazy week in Texas. On June 25, the Texas legislative session was winding down, but the Senate had yet to vote on a bill that would greatly increase regulations on abortionists and their facilities. Senator Wendy Davis became an overnight celebrity when her 10-hour filibuster, combined with the noise of the pro-abortion audience, pushed the final vote til after midnight. Because the legislative session ended at midnight, the vote was invalid.

The story doesn’t end there, though; Governor Rick Perry called a special session in order to give the bill another chance. Since Monday, July 1, thousands of Texans have swarmed Austin to voice their opinions of the bill. Supporters of HB2 wear blue; opponents wear orange. After hearing hours of testimonies, the House State Affairs Committee voted in favor of the bill, 8-3. Next week, HB2 will continue to the House, while its companion bill, SB1, will likely be discussed in committee on Monday.

In part due to the dramatic end to the legislative session, Texas has received national attention and attracted support, criticism, and debate from all over the country. However, North Carolina is fighting a similar battle, and it’s important for North Carolina citizens to be actively involved in what’s going on at home.

On Wednesday, July 3, in spite of hundreds of pro-abortion supporters who flooded the Legislature, the NC Senate passed H695.  This bill includes provisions seeking to prohibit sex selection abortions, to require physicians to be physically present during an abortion, and to opt out of abortion coverage in the federal exchange.  To pro-lifers, these measures seem obvious. Why wouldn’t people want to ban sex selective abortions, or to ensure that a doctor is in the room when a mother takes a deadly pill with risky side effects? To abortion rights supporters, though, such measures are merely obstacles between a woman and her “right” to choose, and they are desperate to protect that “right” to abortion for any reason, any time.

While H695 has passed in the Senate, it still has a long way to go before it becomes law. On Tuesday, July 9, there will be a vote to concur in the House Health and Human Services Committee, and the bill could possibly be on the House floor later that day for the full House vote.  If the committee and full House concur then it will be on its way to the governor’s desk. YOUR SUPPORT IS VITAL! These measures will save lives, but our legislators need to hear from their pro-life constituents immediately. You can be sure they are hearing from those who want abortion to be legal without any restriction.  Please visit our website, www.ncrtl.org, and look under “Action Alert” to see how you can help!

Some Notable Changes in the 2011 NC Reported Abortions

North Carolina Right to Life (NCRTL) recently updated the abortion information on its website to reflect the 2011 statistics. This resource, which is derived from the current State Center for Health Statistics data, is an excellent tool for learning and sharing the facts about abortions in North Carolina.

The 2011 trends in abortion continue to reflect the same patterns that have developed over the last several years. The majority of North Carolina residents who seek abortion are young and unmarried, and women under the age of 24 account for 45% of abortions. Minorities, 20% of whose total pregnancies end in abortion, obtained sixty percent of the state’s abortions.

One striking difference between the 2010 and 2011 numbers is the overall decline in abortions, which have decreased by 15%. In 2010, there were 25,808 abortions performed on North Carolina residents; in 2011, there were 22,370. This marks the greatest drop in abortion numbers within the past five years. There was also, however, a decrease in the total number of pregnancies, so while there were fewer abortion deaths, there were fewer live births, as well. Other factors affecting this total might include population changes, cultural shifts regarding childbearing and life issues, and more effective pro-life legislation.

Also of interest is a change in abortion procedures. In 2010, suction curettage abortions and dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortions, both surgical methods, were the most frequently performed. In 2011, suction curettage remained as the most frequently used (52%), but medical (chemical/nonsurgical) abortion narrowly topped D&E abortion as the second most common procedure.  Since the majority of abortions take place during the early stages of pregnancy, these chemical abortions are becoming more popular.  This also reflects the growing emphasis that abortion advocates, most notably Planned Parenthood, are placing on quicker and “easier” forms of abortion, as chemical abortions are nonsurgical and require only brief visits to the abortion facilities, unless the chemicals do not work. Then, the mother has to return for a surgical abortion.  
 

While the continual decline in total abortions is a cause for hope and celebration, 22,370 lives are still too many. North Carolina Right to Life is as devoted as ever to working to protect unborn children and their mothers in the coming years.

For more information about the 2011 statistics, visit NCRTL's web page.

Post written by Erin Karlovich, NCRTL Assistant Director.

North Carolina Solidly Pro-Life in Election

North Carolina pro-lifers helped elect pro-life candidates at the federal and state levels. 

On the federal level, North Carolina went for the pro-life Romney/Ryan team and 10 of the 13 members of Congress. The Congressional District 7 race between incumbent Mike McIntyre (D) and David Rouzer (R) is still in dispute; but, both candidates are pro-life.  North Carolina Right to Life PAC had a 71% success rate in its support of candidates for President/Vice President and members of Congress.

On the state-wide level, there were many pro-life successes. Governor Pat McCrory became the first pro-life Governor since 1988 when a Republican last held the office. Steve Troxler was reelected as Agriculture Commissioner.  Paul Newby was reelected to the North Carolina Supreme Court.  Chris Dillon was elected to the North Carolina Court of Appeals.  Pro-life candidate for Lt. Governor Dan Forest has not been declared the winner pending the count of provisional and absentee ballots and the possibility of a recount.

The state legislature is now solidly in the hands of a pro-life majorities.  North Carolina Right to Life PAC supported 116 state candidates for both the House and Senate; 99 of these pro-life candidates were elected, for a success rate of 85%.

“We are extremely grateful that North Carolina went for the pro-life team Romney/Ryan over the pro-abortion Obama/Biden ticket and elected pro-life majorities for the U. S. House and the General Assembly.  We look forward to working with our newly elected pro-life Governor and the state legislature to pass laws that will provide protection for unborn children and their mothers. North Carolina has a responsibility to its citizens to protect innocent life and support mothers in carrying their children to term,” stated Barbara Holt, President of North Carolina Right to Life.

(Excerpt from NCRTL PAC press release.) 

Abortion-Woman's Right to Know Introduced in NC House and Senate

North Carolina Right to Life is pleased that Reps. Ruth Samuelson and Pat McElraft in the House and Senators Andrew Brock, Kathy Harrington and Warrren Daniel in the Senate have introduced the Abortion-Woman's Right to Know, our top priority for this legislative session. In the House, the bill number is H854; in the Senate, the bill number is S769.

Generally speaking, the decision whether to have an abortion is often a traumatic one. It is not made any easier by ignorance.  The question has too often been framed as a choice between a lifetime of misery or a quick fix.  The issue is more complicated as many women later sadly realize.  

Many women who undergo abortions later face years of psychological pain and trauma.  Some experience physical problems. A woman needs to be aware that abortion does not offer an easy escape from her problems. Often, it only complicates them.

Informed consent legislation is not an attack on a personal freedom, but a guarantee of it.  It is constitutionally and legally sound.  It safeguards a woman's right to know and to make informed decisions, helps protect physicians from lawsuits, and is a reasoned and compassionate response to the needs of concerned pregnant women.

When a pregnant woman is fully informed about abortion and the alternatives, often she will choose to give birth rather than abort her child.  Therefore, this legislation has the potential to reduce dramatically the approximately 30,000 abortions performed in our state every year.  Based on statistics compiled in other states who have such WRTK laws, there could be several thousand fewer abortions in NC every year with a WRTK in effect.  In fact, South Carolina has experienced a dramatic drop in the numbers of abortions in their state since passing pro-life legislation: Click here.

Finally, North Carolina is one of only two Southern states without such a law. Please note: the red states have WRTK laws in effect; the brown states have ineffective laws; and the yellow states are states which do not have WRTK laws.

ACTION ITEM (Please act immediately.): 

The bill is in the NC House Judiciary B Committee. If your House member is a member of this committee, ask him or her to vote in favor of the bill and oppose any amendments that would weaken or gut the bill.  

If your House member is not a member of the committee, ask him or her to support the bill when it comes to the House floor for a vote and to oppose all amendments offered on the House floor to weaken or gut the bill.   

The crossover deadline (the date by which this bill has to pass the House in order to be eligible to be considered in the Senate) is currently May 12. 

Resources:

Research Bulletins on Abortion's Negative Effects

Fact Sheet on PsychoSocial Consequences of Abortion

Fact Sheet on Physical Complications from Abortion

Economic impact of Abortion

RU-486