Insurance Prohibition for Abortion

Certain state employee insurance plans prohibit coverage of abortion unless necessary to preserve a woman's life.  Based on Amendment 68 of the Arkansas Constitution, which prohibits the use of public funds to pay for an abortion unless necessary to preserve the woman's life, parties to a lawsuit have reached an agreement that the University of Arkansas's employee group health insurance plan will cover abortions only when necessary to preserve the woman's life.  Ark. Const. amend. 68, §1 (Initiative Petition Approved 1988); Foshee v. Sugg, No. E-IJ97-4325 (Ark. Cir. Ct. Feb. 6, 1998) (dismissal).

In addition, based on Amendment 68, a lawsuit was filed seeking to prohibit Pulaski County from continuing to offer employee health insurance coverage for abortion in cases of rape and incest.  The county changed insurance policies and now provides coverage only for abortion in cases of life endangerment.  The lawsuit was dismissed.  Ehlebracht v. Villines, No. IJ2000-2121 (Ark. Cir. Ct. Dec. 4, 2002) (order dismissing without prejudice).