A Connecticut couple is suing the State’s online health insurance exchange, Access Health CT, and several Federal officials over abortion provisions in the Affordable Care Act.
An attorney for Barth and Abbie Bracy from Dayville said the devoutly Catholic and pro-life couple had their private health insurance plan canceled under new guidelines in the ACA. When they enrolled in a new health insurance plan on Access Health CT, they learned from a third party source that all of the plans offer abortion coverage.
“There is no abortion free plan in Connecticut and so every last person who buys a plan on the Connecticut Exchange is being required to pay a separate abortion surcharge,” Attorney Casey Mattox from the conservative group, Alliance Defending Freedom said.
The lawsuit also alleges that language in the ACA prevents enrollees from learning of abortion provisions while they are in the shopping stage of the process.
“The law has this deception built into it where they’re not allowed to tell you that your plan includes abortion until after you’ve signed up. They’re not allowed to tell you that there’s an abortion surcharge. That’s built into you’re premium,” Mattox said.
Access Health CT’s CEO, Kevin Counihan responded to the lawsuit in a statement saying, “We understand the concerns expressed regarding elective abortion coverage and the Affordable Care Act.”
“Allegations that information regarding the plan details coverage was not available on Access Health CT’s website are untrue,” the statement continued.
The ACA requires all State exchanges to offer at least one “multi-state plan” that does not offer abortion coverage beginning in 2017. Access Health CT is working to include a multi-state plan in its Exchange in 2015, Counihan said.