County Still Not Funding Abortion

Deschutes County Commissioners Tony DeBone and Patti Adair removed a proposed health benefit that would've changed the county's health plan to cover abortion services at the board's regular meeting on Oct. 19. It was one of seven changes proposed by Deschutes County's Employee Benefit Advisory Committee, which approved the proposals with a 14-1 vote.

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The county's health plan currently only pays for abortions if the pregnancy is the product of rape or incest or if the mother's life is in danger. Commissioner Phil Chang was the sole vote to include abortion services in the county health plan.

"We are hearing from employees that they would like to have this benefit, (the Employee Benefit Advisory Council) voted 14-1 to support this change and the cost is very small. Benchmarking, comparing to other plans, indicates we are out of step with most other employers on these issues," Chang said.

Adding abortion services to the health plan would cost the county an estimated $8,000 to $12,000 a year total. Chang added that he didn't think funding abortions for county employees would change the number of employees seeking abortion.

The Employee Benefit Advisory Council made the same recommendations last year, which was voted down by the same margin. The state's Reproductive Health Equity Act requires insurance providers to fund abortion services, but Deschutes County is exempted from the rule since it is self-insured and had the rules prior to the act passing.

“We are hearing from employees that they would like to have this benefit, (the Employee Benefit Advisory Council) voted 14-1 to support this change and the cost is very small. Benchmarking, comparing to others plans indicates we are out of step with most other employers on these issues.”—Phil Chang

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"I would agree with the values, and the fact that our plan is in compliance per legal, and it has been grandfathered in. I would continue it as it's been grandfathered," Adair said. "Sometimes you have to follow what you feel is important and I feel that our grandfathered plan is fine."

Adair added that abortions that can be covered in certain circumstances, that birth control is covered by insurers under the Affordable Care Act and that county employees are largely satisfied with the health plan. The issue has been divisive and is a point of attack among both Adair and DeBeone's challengers in the upcoming election.