Heard the new joke about healthcare reform? It's so funny you might forget to laugh -- and skip straight to crying. That's the aim of the stand-up routine delivered in the Center for Reproductive Rights' new ad against the Stupak-Pitts ban on abortion coverage. Check out the video or skip to my recap below:
The spot opens in a nightclub with a female comedian wielding the mic: "So, this woman goes to her doctor. She says: 'Doc, my back is killing me, does my insurance cover a breast reduction?' And the doctor says, 'Yes it does.'” The audience giggles. She goes on: "A guy goes to his doctor. He says: 'Doc, I can't breathe out of this side of my nose. Does my insurance cover a nose job? And the doctor says: 'Yes, it does.'" Again, laughter. She continues: "Another woman walks into her doctor’s office. She says: 'Doc, I’m 11 weeks pregnant -- my baby has anencephaly, parts of its brain and skull are missing. It’s fatal. Does my insurance cover an abortion?' And the doctor says: 'Oooh, no it does not.'” Cue deafening silence, audience members shifting uncomfortably in their seats.
Not so funny, is it? In a press release, CRR gives a run-down of key facts: 1.) "A majority of private health insurance plans now provide coverage for abortion services," 2.) "One in 3 women will have an abortion within her lifetime," and 3.) "Abortion is one of the most common surgical procedures." Under Stupak-Pitts, however, neither the new private plans nor the more affordable public option would cover abortion. On the ad's accompanying Web site, NoAbortionBan.org, you can tell Congress just how unamused you are. It will take all of 30 seconds -- half the time it took you to watch the video itself.
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