The State of Alaska, through its Department of Health and Social Services (HSS) , is taking a positive step toward eliminating potential, and likely, Medicaid fraud regarding payment for "medically necessary" abortions.  

Alaska Family Action applauds this effort and is encouraging all like-minded Alaskans to contact HSS and thank them for introducing this sensible and much needed regulation. 

Alaskans can provide public comment until 4 p.m. on Sept. 27th. The measure is available on the state's online public notice page. You can comment by writing to HSS Commissioner William Streur, 3601 C Street, Suite 902, Anchorage, AK 99524-0249 or emailing him directly at [email protected].

As we've detailed in other Alaska Family Action alerts (see here and here) , there is simply no doubt that taxpayer funds are being used to pay for elective abortions in our state.  SB49 and its companion bill on the House side, HB173, were introduced last legislative session to address this issue but both bills were caught up and mired down in partisan, molasses-like gridlock and bickering. Click here for a great piece written back in February by AFC Board member Joann Pantages addressing the topic.

The regulation being proposed by the Department simply defines in more detail what the term "medically necessary" means. For far too long, abortionists in Alaska have categorized every possible reason a patient gives as "medically necessary" when basic common sense says that it is not.  According to a study from the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion research arm formally associated with Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the United States, here are the top five reasons women give for having an abortion - 

1. Having a baby would dramatically change my life.
2. Can't afford a baby now.
3. Don't want to be a single mother or having relationship problems.
4. Have completed my child rearing. 
5. Not ready for another child.

Although in a pro-abortion person's point of view, these may be legitimate reasons to end the life of a pre-born child, not ONE of the reasons listed are "medically necessary." In other words, they areelective procedures. 

The Alaska Supreme Court has made it very clear that the State must fund procedures that are "medically necessary" but that definition for far too long has been big enough to drive a semi-truck through. In testimony opposing SB49, Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest Chief Legal Counsel, Laura Einstein actually admitted in a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting that although she had heard of the "concept" of an elective abortion, she wasn't sure what it even was.  In other words, all abortions are "medically necessary" if the mother simply wants to have one. This is twisted logic and it needs to be called out.

This regulation would not deny one single Alaskan from having an abortion.  It simply tells abortionists that they can't siphon Medicaid funds for an elective procedure that is NOT in fact medically necessary. 

Again, please take a few short minutes to let your voice be heard regarding this new regulation being proposed by Commissioner William Streur.  He will no doubt be getting intense pushback from those who are adamant that all abortions should be paid for by public funds. Tell him you think otherwise.

Click HERE to pass along your comments now.