PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
Tell Congress That Women Can Make Their Own Medical Decisions
  1. Signatures
    265 out of 500
    Petitioning
    1. The President of the United States (+ 2 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The President of the United States
      • The U.S. Senate
      • The U.S. House of Representatives
  2. Created By
    Brandann Hill-Mann
    Brimley, MI
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Obama Administration have issued an interim rule which restricts abortion access for women who would need to purchase health care coverage from the high-risk pools (otherwise known as the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan).

This means that the women who are most vulnerable, women with pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, kidney failure, and other conditions, chronic illnesses, or disabilities are being sharply cut off from access to abortion coverage. Even if they use their own funds from pockets that may already be stretched thin.

This new rule assumes that women are incapable of making important health care decisions, when they are already possibly handling many important health care concerns, and presumes to make an incredibly important one for them. Many of these long-term conditions could be further exacerbated by carrying a pregnancy to term, or could in fact be outright dangerous, in addition to pregnancy already being demanding of a fully healthy and abled body. This decision should not be made by lawmakers, but by each individual woman, weighing what she is willing and capable of.

Recent Signatures

Recent HHS Interim Rule to Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans

Greetings,

As I am sure you are aware, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently approved an interim rule allowing the restriction of abortion coverage from the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans, also known as the high-risk pools. These pools allow people who have been turned down from other insurance due to pre-existing conditions to still purchase coverage.

This restriction denies women with these pre-existing conditions -- things like breast cancer, ovarian cancer, diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, and other chronic conditions and disabilities -- the chance to purchase abortion coverage, even when using their own funds. These conditions can mean that a pregnancy could be damaging to their health, or could exacerbate their conditions, causing duress to an already stressful situation. Because of this, abortion coverage is an important part of health care coverage, especially to women who are already at risk. To cut off access to coverage for women paying with their own money speaks close to disdain for those women's lives.

This restriction also shows disregard for a woman's ability to make choices about her health. The decision to carry a pregnancy to term should belong to each woman alone, and with the added burden to her body of illness or disability, it is more important to show confidence in her as a human to weigh her medical decisions for herself and decide what is best. To put this restriction on a woman while she may be already facing these choices, and seeking health care coverage shows a flagrant disregard for her as a person.

I urge you to rethink this law, which is hurtful and unfair to women, especially vulnerable women with illnesses and disabilities, and to do everything in your power to reverse it. These women so often have their choices and humanity stripped from them, and are viewed as less than human by society, and this HHS rule, made with no consideration for the well-being of these women, demonstrates that remarkably.

Thank you for your time.

[Your name]

Press Inquiries