South Carolina Bill Regarding Abortion Coverage in State Insurance Plans (S 122)

S 122 would have prohibited the use of employer contributions to the State Health Insurance Plan to pay for abortions. Exceptions to this included cases of rape, incest, or where the mother’s medical condition is one which so complicates the pregnancy as to necessitate an immediate abortion to avert the risk of her death.

The bill states that funds for these exceptions would come from a distinct subaccount called the Women’s Services Fund. A portion of each subscriber’s contribution to the State Health Insurance Plan would be transferred to the the Women’s Services Fund except that subscribers would have been permitted to opt-out of permitting a portion of their employee contributions from being transferred to the fund.

A long-standing provision within South Carolina’s state budget already prohibits the state employee’s health plan from covering abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or where the life of the mother is endangered.

STATUS 

Referred to Committee on Finance.

Identical to S 618, which failed to pass in 2013.

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