University of San Francisco Develops Health Plan for Students that Covers Abortion

The Cardinal Newman Society just sent out this press release:

The Cardinal Newman Society
For Immediate Release

December 11, 2008

Catholic University of San Francisco Develops
Health Plan for Students that Covers Abortion

Manassas, Va. – The University of San Francisco (USF), a Catholic institution, has a new student health insurance policy that provides coverage for abortion. Full-time USF undergraduate students are automatically enrolled in the university’s plan unless they request a waiver and are able to prove that they have other, comparable insurance.

According to the plan document, which is available on the USF website, the student health insurance was “developed especially for eligible University of San Francisco students and their eligible dependents.”

In other words, it appears that the USF coverage was included in a custom policy developed for the Catholic institution.

The Catholic Key, the newspaper of the diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph, first reported this story on its Internet blog and notes that there is nothing in California law that would require USF to provide coverage for abortion.

The Cardinal Newman Society, which works to promote the renewal of Catholic higher education, calls on USF president Father Stephen Privett to immediately take action to remove the abortion coverage.

“Given the importance of life issues for Catholics, it is stunning that USF’s student health program would pay for abortions,” said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. “I pray that this was a mistake and not a willful action of the Catholic university, but regardless of how the abortion coverage ended up in the policy, it clearly cannot remain.”

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To schedule an interview with The Cardinal Newman Society, contact Adam Wilson at outreach@cardinalnewmansociety.org or 703/367-0333 ext. 102.

This news release is also available here.