State health plan to restrict abortion coverage | www.ajc.com

Georgia’s health department waded into two thorny issues on Thursday that set a sharply different course on abortion policy and paves the way for a new insurance plan for the state’s 650,000 public employees.

The Department of Community Health voted 5-3 on a healthcare plan design that would restrict state employee insurance policies from covering abortions. The move was backed by Gov. Nathan Deal after lawmakers failed to pass similar legislation this year.

Commissioner Clyde Reese also said he expected to name Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia the winner of a lucrative healthcare contract on Friday over the objections of the two current insurance providers, who claim the chaotic bidding process unfairly deprived them of a chance.

Both moves carry vast implications and will likely spawn more legal challenges. Already, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna have claimed in court the state has unfairly spurned their bids. And legal analysts say the abortion changes could raise constitutional challenges about the governor’s powers.

The plan’s supporters say a host of changes could save the state some $200 million, giving lawmakers more leeway to consider teacher pay raises or other election-year bonuses during next year’s legislative session.

But some lawmakers may be more squeamish about the abortion changes. A plan to ban state insurance providers from covering abortion failed to pass during the final day of the legislative session, and Deal vowed to use his executive powers to press the issue.

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