HHS's pre-regulatory model guidelines explain how an enrollee who wants federally-disallowed abortion covered in her plan will get it without using any funds, tax credits, or "cost-sharing reduction" from the feds: Her plan will use "allocation accounts": One that's used for abortion, and one that's used for everything else. HHS also requires the insurers in their exchanges to "submit a plan that details its process and methodology for meeting the requirements of" their segregation plan.
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Now, back to the present rule: On the subject of segregated accounts, HHS more or less punts:
We considered the comments received on this section, and are finalizing the provisions of proposed §156.280 without modification, with the exception of finalizing the preregulatory model guidelines on issuer segregation plans released by HHS and the Office of Management and Budget. Where future guidance is issued on this section, these comments will be taken into account.
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QHP (Qualified Health Plan) insurers will have to figure out how much money goes into the allocated account -- the "basic per enrollee, per month cost, determined on an average actuarial basis, for including [abortion] coverage." From the current rule:
In making such an estimate, the QHP issuer:
(i) May take into account the impact on overall costs of the inclusion of such coverage, but may not take into account any cost reduction estimated to result from such services, including prenatal care, delivery, or postnatal care;
(ii) Must estimate such costs as if such coverage were included for the entire population covered; and
(iii) May not estimate such a cost at less than one dollar per enrollee, per month.
There's your "$1 abortion" -- an accounting detail that doesn't describe the price of the procedure, but the floor for calculations of the cost of the allocated account.
http://daily.decisionhealth.com/Blogs/Detail.aspx?id=200234(Edroso is mainly known on the internet as a funny liberal blogger - being the editor of that website appears to be his day job)
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