RNC to opt out of abortion coverage

By GottaLaff

Yesterday I posted this:

I previously posted about Focus on the Hypocrites Family providing coverage for abortions. Now this. How will Michael Steele cover his, er, bling this time?

The RNC's health insurance plan "covers elective abortion -- a procedure the party's own platform calls 'a fundamental assault on innocent human life,'" reports Politico.

FEC records "show the RNC purchases its insurance from Cigna. Two sales agents for the company said that the RNC's policy covers elective abortion."

Well now, they'd have none of that. Michael Steele harrumphed that loud and clear:

The Republican National Committee will no longer offer employees an insurance plan that covers abortion after POLITICO reported Thursday that the anti-abortion RNC's policy has covered the procedure since 1991.

"Money from our loyal donors should not be used for this purpose," Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement. "I don't know why this policy existed in the past, but it will not exist under my administration. Consider this issue settled."

Steele has told the committee's director of administration to opt out of coverage for elective abortion in the policy it uses from Cigna. [...]

As of Thursday, the RNC’s plan covers elective abortion – a procedure the party’s own platform calls “a fundamental assault on innocent human life.”

Informed of the coverage, RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho told POLITICO earlier Thursday that the policy pre-dates the tenure of current RNC Chairman Michael Steele.

Yes, there was that very special "opt out" element. I see freedom of choice works for Rushpublics... when it suits them:

According to several Cigna employees, the insurer offers its customers the opportunity to opt out of abortion coverage – and the RNC did not choose to opt out.

But rank-and-file Republicans said Thursday before the change was announced that the policy should – and would – be changed.

“We were not aware of this, obviously, and this will, of course, be fixed,” said James Bopp Jr., a Republican National Committeeman from Indiana.

Say wha..? Didn't they read their own policy? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Fine print can be such a pain. But Cigna says they were informed!

Cigna spokesman Chris Curran:

"... Employer clients are informed of the services covered and it is their choice to decide which benefits meet their needs.”

There is no indication that any RNC employee used the abortion coverage, but Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said it’s “no surprise” that the RNC had been offering it.

The surprise was that they were caught.