MSNBC's Rachel Maddow launched a crusade on Wednesday night against a Michigan measure that would prevent the public from having to cover abortion in insurance plans. Maddow joined state Democrats and called the bill the "rape insurance" bill.
"Your insurance cannot even cover you getting an abortion if you got pregnant because you were raped. That's why the law's opponents are calling it the 'rape insurance' bill," Maddow reported. "I continue to maintain that over the last few years, Michigan state government has become way more insane than anyone nationally gives them credit for." [Video below the break. Audio here.]
Yet the measure is meant to protect those who opposition to abortion on conscience from having to pay for abortions. Those wishing to have abortion coverage would pay for it themselves through an addition to their policy.
This was far too much for Maddow. "No one plans on having an unplanned pregnancy, but if you want to make sure your abortion is covered in case you get raped, you now have to buy special stand-alone coverage for that in Michigan. If you can find it."
Below is a transcript of the segment:
MSNBC
RACHEL MADDOW
3/12/14
RACHEL MADDOW: Happy Wednesday to everybody, but specifically to the great state of Michigan. Because Michigan, you are getting a new law tomorrow. Specifically, it is a new law just for Michigan's lady people. And it has one of the toughest names in all of American politics.
(Video Clip)
GRETCHEN WHITMER (D), Michigan state senate: I think the fact that "rape insurance" is even being discussed by this body is repulsive. And for those of you who want to act aghast that I use a term like "rape insurance" to describe the proposal here in front of us, you should be even more offended that it's an absolutely accurate description of what this proposal requires. This tells women that were raped and became pregnant that they should have thought ahead and bought special insurance for it.
(End Video Clip)
MADDOW: Despite that opposition, despite testimony like that at the state house last year, Michigan Republicans in December passed an anti-abortion bill that opponents call the "rape insurance" bill. It's now law, it goes into effect tomorrow in Michigan. Tomorrow by order of the Michigan legislature and the Michigan governor, it will now be illegal for your private health insurance in Michigan to cover your abortion unless you thought ahead and bought special coverage just for that. As if lots of people plan ahead for unplanned pregnancies.
Your insurance cannot even cover you getting an abortion if you got pregnant because you were raped. That's why the law's opponents are calling it the "rape insurance" bill. No one plans on having an unplanned pregnancy, but if you want to make sure your abortion is covered in case you get raped, you now have to buy special stand-alone coverage for that in Michigan. If you can find it. If you have been getting your health insurance through your job, maybe there's a possibility that your insurance company might start offering that coverage so you can plan ahead for an abortion and pay extra now. But if you've been buying health insurance on your own, maybe you got new individual coverage as part of ObamaCare, then no insurance company will sell you this new special coverage. None. Not one company. They're not offering specific abortion coverage to individuals at any price. So Michigan law now says that buying separate abortion insurance is the only way that you can have your abortion covered by insurance if you need one.
But also, that coverage is not available for purchase in the state. So they're saying the only way you can have it is this way. And by the way, it's not available this way. Michigan, you are amazing. I continue to maintain that over the last few years, Michigan state government has become way more insane than anyone nationally gives them credit for. The Michigan "rape insurance" bill goes into effect tomorrow. It goes into effect on Thursday. But the Michigan "rape insurance" bill is not the most intense thing going on in Michigan politics.
