Planned Parenthood is sponsoring a new bill in California that would further erode parental rights by making it illegal for insurance companies to share information about any abortions committed on minors — even when their parents’ insurance is used to pay for the abortion.
Introduced by State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, SB 1004, also known as the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, would make it a crime for health insurance companies to disclose information about “sensitive services” — to include abortion — to anyone other than the “protected individual.”
The bill’s definition of a “protected individual” includes any “minor who can consent to a health care service without the consent of a parent or legal guardian, pursuant to state or federal law.” Since minors of any age can consent to abortion under existing California law, SB1004 effectively prevents parents from knowing about their daughters’ abortions even while paying for them through their health insurance coverage.
READ: Planned Parenthood happy to help minors obtain abortions without parents’ knowledge
As Christian Headlines notes, Planned Parenthood has framed its support for the bill as an effort to provide patients with greater confidentiality. “When a patient accesses care for a sensitive service, including sexual and reproductive health care, confidentiality is of the utmost importance,” said Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California said in a statement on its website. Yet the abortion activist group did not mention that the bill would apply not only to adults, but also to minors of any age who seek abortions.
“Government bureaucrats should not be helping Planned Parenthood undermine parents’ rights to guide and oversee the healthcare of their children,” said California Family Council President Jonathan Keller, according to CatholicCitizens.org. “Transparency matters. The owner of an insurance policy deserves to know what medical procedures they are paying for. If an adult under 26 wants insurance privacy, they can and should purchase their own insurance.”
In a fact sheet accompanying the bill, State Senator Jackson argued that the bill is required, because “with the expansion of the Affordable Care Act, young people may be covered by a family member’s insurance plan up to age 26,” and these people “may not feel safe or comfortable having their health information shared with the policy holder.” Like Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Senator Jackson omitted any reference to this bill’s impact on minors.
Live Action investigations have found that Planned Parenthood covers up the abuse of minors and the crimes of sex traffickers. Eight Planned Parenthood locations in six different states have been caught expressing willingness to cover up sexual abuse of minors. And Planned Parenthood has been caught multiple times helping sex trafficker ring leaders. The fear is that SB1004 would ultimately make it easier for sex traffickers and abusers of minors to cover their crimes, since parents or other responsible adults would be prevented from knowing if a minor was pressured into having an abortion.
“Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!
