Michigan Health Insurance Exchange Abortion Ban (SB 137)

SB 137 would have prohibited state insurance exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act from including coverage for abortion except through the purchase of optional rider, unless the abortion is necessary to avert the death of the pregnant woman.

STATUS

SB 137 was the companion bill to HB 4065, and was tie-barred with SB 138 and SB 139. (“Tie bar” is a device to condition the effectiveness of legislation on the enactment or passage of other specified legislation. In other words, if one bill fails, they all fail.)

This bill died in committee, but the same provisions were ultimately included in a citizen-initiated petition by Right to Life of Michigan, which the Michigan legislature passed on December 11, 2013. (See Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act, Public Act 182 of 2013.)

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