In order for the United States to get health care reform with near universal access to affordable health care, should women be forced to give up their right to choose? This is the question the country will face in the coming weeks as the Senate gets ready to vote on its version of health care reform.

With debate scheduled to begin in the Senate next week, this is the question facing our country. A group of conservative Representatives, led by Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak and Pennsylvania Republican Joe Pitts, demanded passage of an amendment stating that the public option and any health insurance policy purchased with a federal subsidy deny coverage for abortion. If the Stupak-Pitt amendment were not passed, they threatened to rally enough conservative votes to kill health care reform outright.

The Stupak-Pitts amendment would change most health insurance policies in the country. The majority of health insurance policies today offer coverage for abortion, but under the Stupak amendment, this would end. Since federal subsidies would be provided for a family of four making up to $88,000, this would affect more women than you may first think.

There are currently 17 million women between 18 and 64 who are uninsured today. There are also 5.7 million women who purchase insurance on an individual basis. Most of these women would be purchasing their coverage through a new insurance exchange, created by the health care reform bill. Since many of the people purchasing insurance through the exchange would be receiving a federal subsidy, insurance companies would just sell policies that do not include coverage for abortion, rather than create a special policy for people not receiving the federal subsidy.

The Stupak-Pitts amendment does allow for women to purchase a special rider for abortion coverage. There is no such separate rider currently available to women today. Even if it were available, this would require women to plan for an unplanned pregnancy by spending their hard earned money on a policy they never anticipate using.

Should these Representatives be allowed to impose their own moral beliefs on the entire country through this piece of legislation? Whatever your position on this amendment, you are encouraged to call your Senator, and any other Senators to express your views. You can find every Senators phone number here.