No Abortion Ban: D.J. Feldman Audio Statement

D.J. Feldman is a 41-year-old federal employee from around Washington, DC. She became pregnant in 2008 with a baby she very much wanted. But three months later, her fetus was diagnosed with anencephaly, essentially a lack of most of the brain, skull, or scalp. Such profound defects prevent the affected babies from ever attaining consciousness, most are stillborn.

Feldman’s doctor told her she needed to end the pregnancy. “There was no doubt in her mind that this was medically necessary,” Feldman said of her doctor’s advice. So Feldman went to a local hospital and had the abortion.

But six weeks later, she was shocked when she received letters from her insurance company, denying coverage for the procedure.

Listen to the statement she gave during the launch of the Center’s “No Abortion Ban” campaign to protect abortion coverage in the healthcare reform bill.