On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the new federal health plan, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) into law.  On April 22, 2010 legislation (H.R. 5111) was introduced to remedy PPACA’s serious shortcomings.

In a May 20th letter to Congress, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said PPACA was an important step toward ensuring access to health coverage for all Americans but was “profoundly flawed in its treatment of abortion, conscience rights, and fairness to immigrants.” He urged members to support H.R. 5111, and stated that “…to ensure that our health care system truly serves the life, health and conscience of all will be a legislative goal of the Catholic bishops in the months to come.”

H.R. 5111, wrote Cardinal DiNardo, “will bring PPACA into line with policies on abortion and conscience rights that have long prevailed in other federal health programs” by ensuring PPACA funds are covered by the Hyde Amendment, along with other provisions."  He also reiterated the bishops’ call for “a reformed health care system that respects the life, health and conscience of all.”

H.R. 5111 would: 

• Prevent federal funds from subsidizing health plans that cover abortions beyond the Hyde exceptions, so that PPACA will follow the policy of other federal health insurance programs.
• Restore the conscience provision on abortion approved by the House last November, ensuring that governmental entities receiving federal funds under PPACA may not discriminate against health care providers who decline involvement in abortion.
• Close a loophole in PPACA’s non-preemption clause, so that state laws restricting abortion or protecting conscience rights will not be preempted.
• Clarify a PPACA clause on the preservation of federal laws, so laws restricting abortion or abortion coverage are preserved.

Catholics are asked to prayerfully consider contacting their Representatives to request that they co-sponsor H.R. 5111 to amend the PPACA to preserve longstanding federal policies on abortion and conscience rights.