Stupak may hold the swing votes on health care. By stating that the federal government is subsidizing abortions if it subsidizes health care policies that cover abortions, Stupak is not only angling to prevent federal funding for abortions, his position will also ensure that very few health insurance options will cover abortion, period.
Read a potential policy solution to the Stupak issue on the flip. This solution ensures that the federal government does not subsidize abortions. Ensures that all people have affordable health care. And ensures that all Americans can have choice available to them (right wingers can pay extra if they don't want to have choice).
Read the full solution on the flip:
Here's the way to skin the Stupak issue so that it works for us:
State that all people (male and female) between 15 and 50 have to carry two types of insurance: general health coverage and a separate pregnancy rider (people that cannot have children would be exempt from pregnancy coverage).
General health coverage could be subsidized by the federal government and could include neonatal care and also all care following delivery of a child (nursery, hospital stay, complications related to birth, etc.).
The pregnancy rider would be limited to the cost of delivery and/or abortion, would not be subsidized by the federal government and would need to be purchased on the open market.
People could purchase pregnancy riders either with abortion coverage or without abortion coverage - the free market would set the price for such riders. All things being equal, the free market will price riders with abortion coverage below riders without abortion coverage (since abortion costs less than delivery).
The federal government could increase subsidies for the general health coverage to make sure that, overall, health coverage is still affordable given the extra cost that people would bear in purchasing separate pregnancy riders.
By structuring the system this way, right-wingers who are opposed to abortion coverage could purchase pregnancy riders without abortion coverage on the open market at a slightly higher cost. Everyone else could purchase pregnancy coverage on the open market at a lower cost and then make the choice that is right for them given their own personal circumstances.
The bottom line with this arrangement: Stupak can't argue that the federal government is subsidizing abortion coverage since it's a completely different rider purchased on the open market. Most Americans will have the choice that they should have. If the federal government sufficiently subsidizes non-pregnancy health care, all people will be able to afford health care including pregnancy coverage.