California threatened with funds loss over abortion coverage The Trump administration is threatening California with a potential loss of federal health care funds over the state's requirement that insurance plans cover abortionsWASHINGTON -- Saying that California violated a federal law, the Trump administration Friday threatened the state with a potential loss of federal health care funds over its requirement that insurance plans cover abortions. The federal Health and Human Services Department said it is issuing a "notice of violation," giving California 30 days to comply with a federal law known as the Weldon amendment. That law bars federal health care funding from being provided to states or entities that practice "discrimination" against a health care organization on the basis that it "does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions." The head of the HHS Office for Civil Rights, Roger Severino, said California is violating the restriction by requiring insurance plans to cover abortions. "If states receive federal funds ... they cannot discriminate against a health plan that declines to cover abortions," said Severino.

Source: ABC News January 24, 2020 15:33 UTC