DENVER—Families of four earning up to $41,000 a year would qualify for Medicaid coverage for family planning services under a measure given initial approval by the Senate on Friday.
Adults in those families who don’t qualify for other coverage under the state’s health insurance for the poor would be able to get contraception, sterilizations as well as infertility treatments.
Some Republicans objected because they thought that would free up more money for abortions at the same clinics that offer help with contraception. Sen. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, questioned whether the state should help people without health insurance from having children.
Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill (Senate Bill 3) to state that no money saved could be spent on abortion.
Sen. Betty Boyd, D-Lakewood, said the state doesn’t provide enough money to cover the full cost of family planning counseling, so no extra money would be available for abortions.
Boyd also said an abortion ban could disqualify the state from getting federal funds. She said the federal government allowed money to be spent on abortions to save the life of a woman.
The Colorado constitution bars any public money from being spent on abortion except to save the mother’s life.
