Abortion coverage remains part of plan

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Unionized city workers will continue to have the cost of abortions covered in their health-care plans, while nonunion employees will not.
City council rejected a move Thursday to exclude abortion coverage from future union contracts.A city ordinance excludes abortion from the city's health coverage, but an arbitrator ruled that the city could not unilaterally change heath-care coverage in its union contracts without first negotiating it.
An ordinance passed in 2001 excluded abortions from the city's health coverage, except when necessary to save the life of the mother.
But last month, an arbitrator ruled the city could not unilaterally change health-care coverage in its union contracts without first negotiating it.
Chuck Haas, the city's director of risk management, said this has led to a mixed system: the city won't pay for abortions for nonunion employees, but would have no choice but to reimburse a union-represented woman who has an abortion.