Students for Life of America has discovered that this fall the NC Board of Governors is requiring all students who are enrolled in a University of NC public institution to have health insurance.
Students who do not already have private health insurance are required to buy a state selected policy from Pearce & Pearce, Inc. This mandated policy covers up to $500 toward elective abortions and has 80% PPO coverage for elective abortions.
The Pearce & Pearce policy costs students $744 per year or $375 per semester. The State of North Carolina will not be paying into the policy; rather, the students who are required to purchase the insurance will be required to pay the entire cost.
As a result, NC students will be forced to pay for elective abortions, regardless of their personal views on the issue.
Sarah Hardin, President of NC State U's Students for Life group was shocked at the news:
When I learned a week ago that this mandatory health coverage included the coverage of an elective abortion, I was dumbfounded. As a pro-life student at NC State, I am dismayed that my classmates will not only be forced to purchase health insurance, but will also be forced to pay into a pool that will go to aborting the children of other NC students.
Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director of Students for Life of America, is outraged with the discovery:
The fact that NC students are going to be forced to pay for elective abortions is appalling. Students should not be put in a situation like this in order to attend an educational institution. We demand that the NC Board of Governors reverse their policy and remove the abortion mandate immediately. Paying for abortions should not be a pre-requisite to learning."
This morning, SFLA released a new website, www.noabortioninhealthcare.com, dedicated to raising public awareness and mobilization around this issue. The website asks Americans to sign a petition against the forced abortion mandate and call the Chairman of the North Carolina Board of Governors, Hannah Gage, with the same message.
Source: Students for Life of America
Date Published: August 10, 2010
