Questions for county health care plan loom

Lenoir County commissioner Chris Humphrey said this week he would like to see an end to county funding for elective abortion operations for employees through the county’s health care plan.

The exact number of county-funded elective abortion operations isn’t available; county officials indicated earlier this month that the number of abortions funded by the county’s health care plan was not public information because of HIPPA regulations, which ensure patient confidentiality.

Humphrey and fellow commissioner Tommy Pharo first raised the issue at a March 1 commissioner meeting about county tax dollars being used to pay for elective abortions.

“We need to take a look at this and make sure there is not a violation of the law by using taxpayers’ money to fund elective abortions,” Humphrey said. “It’s not about pro-choice versus pro-life. It’s a procedure the county shouldn’t be paying for at all through the health care coverage.”

The elective abortion funding issue by county governments’ health care plans was raised recently in another North Carolina county with some resolution.

Wake County officials reinstated this week its insurance coverage to pay for elective abortions for its county employees needing the operation after Wake County Manager David Cooke removed the coverage from the county’s insurance plan last month, according to the Associated Press.

The Associated Press reported this week that Cooke had removed the coverage based on his interpretation of a 1981 North Carolina Supreme Court decision that suggested counties should be prevented from paying for their employees’ elective abortion procedures.

Chris Lavender can be reached at 252-559-1078 or clavender@freedomenc.com.