Washington D.C., Sep 23, 2009 / 16:08 pm
A new study has found that while most Americans agree that changes must be made to the current health care system, the majority does not want their tax-dollars or health care premiums to go toward abortions.
The survey was commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and was conducted by International Communications Research (ICR). The pollster called 1,043 adults in the U.S. and asked questions about abortion coverage and health care reform and conscience protections.
According to a press release from the USCCB, the researchers found that 60% of Americans favor the idea of health care reform as well as affordable health insurance for everyone. Of those who favor reform, 60% oppose tax-payer funded abortion, while 25% were in favor of it.
The study also found that 49% of people pushing for reform oppose paying for abortion coverage through health insurance premiums. Thirty-nine percent disagreed.
Also among those favoring reform, 60% also were for maintaining conscious protections for doctors and nurses; 30% were opposed.
Among all 1,043 surveyed, 67% opposed tax-payer funded abortion and 56% opposed paying for abortions through insurance premiums.
Another question on the survey asked, “If the choice were up to you, would you want your own insurance policy to include abortion?” Among those surveyed, 68% said “no” and 24% said “yes.”
Deirdre McQuade, Assistant Director for Policy & Communications at the USCCB’s Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities noted that the new survey confirms the results of other recent studies done on health care reform and abortion.
“With each passing week it gets clearer: The American public generally does not want to pay for abortion coverage and does not want health care reform used to promote abortion,” she said.
“Abortion is not health care,” McQuade continued, remarking that the U.S. bishops are working “to ensure that health care reform serves the most vulnerable among us – especially the poor, immigrants, and the unborn.”
More information regarding the U.S. bishops and health care reform, can be found at: www.usccb.org/healthcare.