Health Care Conscience Rights Act of 2013 (S. 1204)

S 1204 would have amended the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to declare that nothing shall require an individual to purchase individual health insurance coverage that includes coverage of an abortion or any other service to which the individual has a moral or religious objection, or prevent an issuer from offering or issuing, to that individual, individual coverage excluding such item or service.

The bill would also have amended the Public Health Service Act to codify the prohibition against any acton by the federal government and any state or local government receiving federal financial assistance to subject any health-care provider or health insurance plan to discrimination on the basis that the entity refuses to participate in abortion-related activities.

The bill would have created a cause of action for any violation of the abortion discrimination prohibition.

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Related Legislation

Companion bill to HR 940, which also failed to pass in 2013.

Similar to S 137, which also failed to pass in 2013.

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