04/23/2002 03:03 PM House HES

HB 522 - MEDICAID PAYMENTS FOR ABORTION                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DYSON announced  that the final order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 522, "An  Act relating to medical  services under                                                               
the state Medicaid program."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 0063                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON presented  HB  522.   He  explained  that  it is  an                                                               
attempt for  the legislature to  define which class  of abortions                                                               
will and  will not  be paid  for with public  funds and  set some                                                               
limits on  what is classified  as medical necessity.   There have                                                               
been  several efforts  by  the legislature  to  set the  elective                                                               
abortion funding policy  in the appropriation process  and one or                                                               
two court  challenges in the six  years that he's been  here.  He                                                               
explained that  this bill  and its companion  bill in  the Senate                                                               
tries  to meet  the criteria  that were  set forth  in the  court                                                               
cases  and  to follow  the  guidelines  set  out in  the  federal                                                               
legislation, in  the Hyde Amendment,  in which public  money will                                                               
be used  for funding abortions  if the  pregnancy is a  result of                                                               
rape and incest, and  if the life of the mother is  at stake.  In                                                               
his  view, the  "life of  the mother"  has been  expanded to  the                                                               
"life and  health of  the mother," and  the question  has become:                                                               
What are  medically necessary abortions  in order to  protect the                                                               
health of the mother?                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON said  he thinks  the  whole subject  of abortion  is                                                               
painful.   No  matter which  side people  take, he  said that  he                                                               
knows  of  no  one  who  wants   there  to  be  abortions.    His                                                               
understanding of  the issue is:   If  it is an  elective abortion                                                               
and the  life of  the mother  is not  in question,  should public                                                               
funds be  used to  pay for  the abortion;  and Should  people who                                                               
have  an absolute  moral  repugnance  to taking  the  life of  an                                                               
unborn  child  be  forced  to participate  with  their  money  in                                                               
something  that is  not  necessary  to protect  the  life of  the                                                               
mother?  He concluded that  this legislation tries to define what                                                               
abortions will be paid for that are on that edge.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  DYSON announced  that due  to technical  difficulties with                                                               
the teleconference, HB 522 would be held over.