CV News Feed // The University of San Diego, a Catholic school, covers abortions in their student health plan, citing that federal and state mandates require the school to cover abortions. However, USD will not clarify which mandates they are referring to.
The school continues to offer to pay for students’ abortions even though California has made legal settlements for religious organizations to opt out of a directive that claims organizations must cover elective abortions in healthcare plans.
In two recent cases, a judge ruled in favor of churches’ right to decline to cover elective abortions in their healthcare plans. However, even though USD is a Catholic university, it does not seem that they will follow the same course.
The university’s healthcare plan also lists “gender affirming care” as a medical procedure that its benefits will cover.
“USD’s employee and student benefit plans are required to align with state and federal regulations,” said Senior Director of Media Relations Lissette Martinez in an email to The College Fix.
The services mentioned [abortion and “transgender” drugs and surgeries] are typically those that are required to be covered, and individuals are encouraged to consult with their medical provider regarding the best course of treatment for any medical concern.
However, Martinez ignored a College Fix question asking if USD planned to follow a similar course of action as the churches in California. “The university has yet to respond to a follow-up request sent three weeks ago that asked for clarification and specifically asked what federal law USD is citing, since the Catholic University of America does not cover abortion in its student health plan despite being subject to the same federal regulations,” reported William Hurley for The College Fix.
San Diego’s Bishop, Cardinal Robert McElroy, declined to comment on the university’s healthcare policies. USD falls within his jurisdiction. People from his office also refused to comment on the situation.
