After ‘loophole’ closed, Deschutes County commissioners vote 3-0 to fully cover abortion services for county workers
(Update: Adding video, comments from commissioners Chang and DeBone; KTVZ.COM Poll)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Deschutes County commissioners voted 3-0 Wednesday to approve changes to the county's Employee Benefits Plan for 2024, which changed course from years past and includes fully covering abortion services for county employees.
One major change to this year's benefit plan has been a source of controversy in the past.
Earlier this year, HB 2002 was passed by Oregon legislators, and closed what critics said was a “loophole” the two of three county commissioners used last year to not approve providing funding of abortions for employees.
The "loophole" used by commissioners was HB 3391, passed in 2017, requires insurance providers to fund abortion services. But Deschutes County was exempted from the rule, since it is self-insured and had rules in place prior to the act passing.
The last two years, commissioners Tony DeBone and Patti Adair voted to exclude providing county dollars towards employees getting abortions, except in the case of incest, rape, or if an employee is endangered by a continued pregnancy.
When interviewing Commissioner DeBone on Wednesday, we asked if he would have supported the change without HB 2002 being in place. He responded simply, "No, no, no."
Fellow Commissioner Phil Chang explained his view on the situation the previous couple of years: "What we were essentially doing is leaving employees out in the cold, if they determined that someone or someone in their family need an abortion. We were saying, 'You can do what you want, but we're just not going to help you pay for it.'"
In HB 2002, Section 4 states, “Any person may bring an action against a public body, or an officer, employee or agent of a public body, for injunctive relief to enforce the requirements of sections 2 to 4 of this 2023 Act.”
DeBone told us Wednesday, "It's kind of an unfunded mandate for a health care plan. So our taxpayers will have to pay a little bit more. It's not a big financial step, but it is a philosophical step, in what medical care involves and how it's paid for."
Chang explained, "If we're not providing health insurance coverage to people for a service, it doesn't mean they are not going to get that service."
County legal staff pitched the change to commissioners. According to them, the estimated cost to plan for abortion services could be anywhere from $8,000 to $12,000.
Their recommendation to commissioners stated: “PacificSource identifies this as a state-mandated covered benefit and recommends removing the exclusion for these services to be in compliance. DC legal is of the opinion the abortion coverage may not be excluded from the upcoming health benefits plan year due to HB 2002.”
NewsChannel 21 tried contacting Commissioner Patti Adair for comment, but didn't hear back.
DeBone concluded emphatically, "Pray for the unborn and go to church on Sundays! So, this is the state telling us what to do and how to do it."
Chang added, "I'm relieved that we don't have to continue to have ideological debates on employee health benefits anymore."
According to Planned Parenthood, an abortion performed in the second trimester can cost up to $2,000.
The new Deschutes County benefit plan will take effect Jan. 1, 2024.
Two women who spoke at Monday's commission meeting had recommended commissioners change course and follow the state requirement for funding county employees' abortions.
