Re: Vote on Health Exchange Bill

Also, please contact state legislators to oppose Governor McDonnell's amendment to the health exchange bill which is to be voted on today! Below is a suggested letter. (Please see list of members of House of Delegates and Senators at end of this email, which you can cut and paste to send to all legislators at one time.)

Suggested Letter:

Dear Legislator:

As a pro-life leader in the Commonwealth of Virginia, we urge you to reject Governor Bob McDonnell's amendment to the health exchange bill, HB2434. We believe that if this language is adopted, it will set a dangerous precedent for future pro-life legislative efforts and ensure abortion coverage in health exchanges. The Governor's amendment contains exceptions for "life" endangered by "illness" (traditionally considered a "health" exception) as well as exceptions for alleged "rape" and "incest" not required to be reported to authorities. Because of these exceptions, we cannot consider this language "pro-life."

The Governor's amendment to HB2434 reads:

"(ii) ensure that no qualified health insurance plan that is sold or offered for sale through an exchange established or operating in the Commonwealth shall provide coverage for abortions, regardless of whether such coverage is provided through the plan or is offered as a separate optional rider thereto; and (iii) the limitation set forth in (ii) shall not apply to an abortion performed (a) when the life of the mother is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, or (b) when the pregnancy is the result of an alleged act of rape or incest."

Stronger language offered by Delegate Marshall to Senator Saslaw's Health Exchange bill (SB1366) passed the House of Delegates, and would have passed the State Senate had Senator Saslaw not withdrawn his bill, so the broader language of the Governor's amendment is not necessary. Marshall's amendment reads:

"No health plan authorized by the Virginia Exchange may provide abortion coverage services; however, such prohibition shall not (i) prevent an approved health plan from reimbursing the costs of services of a physician and other services incurred in providing medical assistance to preserve the life of a pregnant woman provided that every possible measure shall be taken to preserve the life of the unborn child of the pregnant woman, or (ii) preclude an approved health plan from reimbursing the costs of services incurred in providing medical treatment to address previous fetal demise or intrauterine fetal death."

While some pro-life groups are urging adoption of the Governo's amendment, we urge rejection. We also ask the Governor to veto HB2434 because setting up health exchanges to comply with Obamacare is not necessary at this time. In fact, the Governors of Louisiana and Florida have already refused (other Governors also considering refusal) to comply with setting up these health exchanges since the federal health care law is still being adjudicated in Court.

Please reject the Governor's amendment and please urge the Governor to veto HB 2434. Thank you.

Sincerely,



Here is the list of email addresses for the House of Delegates and State Senate members. You can cut and paste this list in the blind carbon area if you want.

<delwabbitt@house.virginia.gov>, <delrabbott@house.virginia.gov>, <deldalbo@house.virginia.gov>, <delkalexander@house.virginia.gov>, <delranderson@house.virginia.gov>, <delwarmstrong@house.virginia.gov>, <delcathey@house.virginia.gov>, <delmbacote@house.virginia.gov>, <delwbarlow@house.virginia.gov>, <deldbell@house.virginia.gov>, <delrbell@house.virginia.gov>, <delrbrink@house.virginia.gov>, <deldbulova@house.virginia.gov>, <delkbyron@house.virginia.gov>, <delccarrico@house.virginia.gov>, <delbcarr@house.virginia.gov>, <delwcleaveland@house.virginia.gov>, <delbcline@house.virginia.gov>, <delmcole@house.virginia.gov>, <delbcomstock@house.virginia.gov>, <deljcosgrove@house.virginia.gov>, <deljcox@house.virginia.gov>, <delkcox@house.virginia.gov>, <delacrockett-stark@house.virginia.gov>, <delrdance@house.virginia.gov>, <delaebbin@house.virginia.gov>, <deljedmunds@house.virginia.gov>, <deldenglin@house.virginia.gov>, <delefiller-corn@house.virginia.gov>, <delsgarrett@house.virginia.gov>, Delegate Todd Gilbert <deltgilbert@house.virginia.gov>, <deltgreason@house.virginia.gov>, <delghabeeb@house.virginia.gov>, <delcherring@house.virginia.gov>, <delphope@house.virginia.gov>, <delahowell@house.virginia.gov>, <delwhowell@house.virginia.gov>, <delthugo@house.virginia.gov>, <delsiaquinto@house.virginia.gov>, <delringram@house.virginia.gov>, <delmjames@house.virginia.gov>, <delbjanis@house.virginia.gov>, <deljjohnson@house.virginia.gov>, <delcjones@house.virginia.gov>, <delmkeam@house.virginia.gov>, <deltkilgore@house.virginia.gov>, <delbknight@house.virginia.gov>, <delkkory@house.virginia.gov>, <delslandes@house.virginia.gov>, <deljlemunyon@house.virginia.gov>, <delllewis@house.virginia.gov>, <delslingamfelter@house.virginia.gov>, <delmloupassi@house.virginia.gov>, <deldmarshall@house.virginia.gov>, <delbmarshall@house.virginia.gov>, <deljmassie@house.virginia.gov>, <deljmay@house.virginia.gov>, <deljmcclellan@house.virginia.gov>, <deldmcquinn@house.virginia.gov>, <deldmerricks@house.virginia.gov>, Delegate Jackson Miller <deljmiller@house.virginia.gov>, <delpmiller@house.virginia.gov>, <deljmorefield@house.virginia.gov>, <delhmorgan@house.virginia.gov>, <deljmorrissey@house.virginia.gov>, <deldnutter@house.virginia.gov>, <deljobannon@house.virginia.gov>, <delgoder@house.virginia.gov>, <delborrock@house.virginia.gov>, <delcpeace@house.virginia.gov>, <delbphillips@house.virginia.gov>, <delkplum@house.virginia.gov>, <delbpogge@house.virginia.gov>, <delcpoindexter@house.virginia.gov>, <delapollard@house.virginia.gov>, <delbpurkey@house.virginia.gov>, <dellputney@house.virginia.gov>, <delrrobinson@house.virginia.gov>, <deltrust@house.virginia.gov>, <delescott@house.virginia.gov>, <deljscott@house.virginia.gov>, <delbsherwood@house.virginia.gov>, <deljshuler@house.virginia.gov>, <delmsickles@house.virginia.gov>, <dellspruill@house.virginia.gov>, <delcstolle@house.virginia.gov>, <delssurovell@house.virginia.gov>, <delbtata@house.virginia.gov>, <delltorian@house.virginia.gov>, <deldtoscano@house.virginia.gov>, <delrtyler@house.virginia.gov>, <deltgear@house.virginia.gov>, <delrvillanueva@house.virginia.gov>, <deljward@house.virginia.gov>, <deloware@house.virginia.gov>, <dellware@house.virginia.gov>, <delvwatts@house.virginia.gov>, <deltwilt@house.virginia.gov>, deltwright@house.virginia.gov

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