GR abortion insurance change fails

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - People lined up to debate a controversial abortion topic in Grand Rapids Tuesday night.

It was all sparked when Commissioner Dave Shaffer said he wanted to change the language in the city employee health care plan to more narrowly define when an abortion can be covered by insurance.

But in the end, no one else on the commission supported moving the idea forward.

As it reads now, insurance will pay for a city employee's abortion if it's deemed "medically necessary." Shaffer argued the current language is too broad and opens the door for taxpayers to in effect be forced to pay for abortions under any circumstances.

He proposed some new language.

"That would say in regards to our healthcare plan that we wouldn't fund abortion except in the case of life of the mother or rape or incest," he explained.

Supporters argued, for example, that a doctor whose primary interest is making money off performing abortions is more likely to rule an abortion is "medically necessary" -- thus allowing it to be covered by insurance -- and having taxpayers fit the bill.

"By limiting abortion coverage to only those necessary to save the life of the mother and rape and incest, we can dismiss the thoughts of abortion on demand for any reason," said Grand Rapids Right to Life President Patricia Korte.

Planned Parenthood spoke out against the resolution, saying it's up to a woman and her doctor to decide what is deemed medically necessary. Their supporters argued Shaffer's proposal was more about political grandstanding than substance.

"We all pay taxes," said Katherine Humphrey, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of West and Northern Michigan. "I don't think and believe that there is any place for politicians and politics in medicine."

In the end, when it came to actually putting proposal before the commission, none of the other commissioners would even second the the idea.  

In order to put the topic up for debate, Shaffer moved to suspend the rules to put it on the agenda. No one would second that motion.

Shaffer said he has no plans to continue with the idea,  but the president of Grand Rapids Right to Life says she's looking into the deadline to get enough signatures to place the issue on the November ballot.