Don’t Tell me Abortion isn’t Basic health care.

On Halloween of this year, Robin Marty had an “abortion.” (RH Reality Check)

Robin Marty isn't a teenager who forgot to use a condom, or a young college woman who can't "deal" with having a child, the stereotypes many anti-choicers want you to believe. She was a soon to be second time mother, until she found out that the fetus she had been carrying for 12 weeks had died at just 8 weeks old. Faced with a potential medical emergency, Marty was given three options. The first, wait for a miscarriage, which her doctor said didn’t look to occur anytime soon, and, if left for too long, the fetus could cause a fatal infection. Her second option was to have a chemical abortion, which, because of how far along she was, would not be 'complete' and would would need to be followed up with a D&C (Dilation & Curettage). The third and final option was to have a D&C, the procedure that is referred to both medically and in political discourse as an abortion.

Marty went with the third option as it was in the best interest for her, her family, and any future children she may have (in addition to infection, waiting for a miscarriage could potentially leave Marty infertile.) Unlike many Americans, she was fortunate enough to have a private health insurance plan that would cover the procedure, although Marty would have to pay the maximum out-of-pocket expense of $1,500. Why does Marty's case matter to today's health care debate?

Before we get in to the politics, let's recap real quick to make sure we're on the same page. Robin Marty had an abortion to remove an already dead fetus from her uterus that, had it not been removed, could have caused infertility or a fatal infection. This procedure was necessary for not only her health, but her life and the well-being of her family.

Ok, so here we go.

Under the Stupak Amendment of the House Health Care Bill, Robin Marty could potentially be denied access to this procedure under her health insurance, regardless of whether or not it was under the public option or through a private insurance company; regardless of the potentially life-saving nature of the procedure. Currently, Marty's insurance doesn't have the option to opt-out of covering the procedure and therefore had to cover it; the Stupak Amendment would allow private insurers, like Marty's, to opt out of covering what is medically termed an abortion, leaving women like Robin Marty to cover the costs herself, or risk potentially fatal consequences.

Because abortion is such a broad term, there is no differentiation between the abortion of a live fetus versus one that has already died. So women like Robin Marty, whose body doesn’t quite pick up on the fact that it is no longer pregnant, would not be able to receive the life saving procedure unless they could afford the more than $1,500 in health care costs, assuming they would be able to find a provider.

Abortion is basic health care; in many cases, it is an instance of life and death for the mother. The abortions that are covered by insurance companies are rarely, if at all, elective. Those covered by insurance companies are only those performed in attempt to save the life or preserve the health of the mother.

Robyn Marty would have suffered serious health consequences and possible death had she not gotten this abortion; don't tell me that abortion isn't basic health insurance, Stupak. Instead, tell me why, under this “comprehensive” health care bill that is attempting to bring basic health care to 96 million + Americans, women still must be denied? A health care bill that does not cover basic, reproductive health care for women does not sound "comprehensive" to me.

photo credit: opendemocracy from Flickr