Posted: 08/22/2014 11:55:25 AM PDT
Updated: 08/22/2014 11:55:27 AM PDT
Health insurance companies in California can no longer sell health care plans that discriminate against women by limiting or excluding abortion coverage, Gov. Jerry Brown's administration said Friday.
The Department of Managed Health Care issued letters to seven insurance companies saying it had erroneously approved such language in policies 'covering a very small fraction of California health plan enrollees.''
The letter confirmed that the state constitution as well as 'multiple California judicial decisions'' prohibit such discrimination against women who choose to have abortions.
'All health plans must treat maternity services and legal abortion neutrally,'' Michelle Rouillard, the department's director, said in the two-page letter.
She said the decision becomes effective Friday.
The controversial issue surfaced last year after administrations at Santa Clara University and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, both Jesuit schools, decided to drop health insurance coverage of elective abortions.
The decision led to uproar among staff and faculty at each institution.
Contact Tracy Seipel at 408-920-5343. Follow her at Twitter.com/taseipel.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.comments powered by
0 comments on State reverses position on health insurance abortion coverage :
Post a Comment and Don't Spam!