Justice and Abortion Funding

Justice and Abortion Funding
The welfare system helps thousands of people every year to subside their basic needs. If one is disabled or unable to work, one can go on welfare and it will provide that person with basic living needs until the persons are able to reintegrate themselves in the workforce. With these benefits also comes certain limitations, welfare is not given to everyone; certain qualifications should be met before being granted this monetary assistance. Although welfare is beneficial to those in need, it can also be an obstacle to their goals. One case study that illustrates the disadvantages of being on welfare is the case, Justice and Abortion Funding: Biomedical ethics this case study is an example of how people can become dependent on these services. Sara G is a 35-year-old woman with four children who range from ages one to six. Her husband deserted her when she became pregnant with their fifth child. She is currently two months pregnant and is being supported by public assistance. Her children are being fed and clothed by public assistance; she has no way of starting a career or going job hunting because she does not possess the necessary skills. If she were to find a job she would not make half of what public assistance is giving her and she would not be able to pay for daycare for her four children. Based on her current situation she has decided that she wants to have an abortion. Her case worker has also agreed that once her children were older she would be placed in a job training program where she would be able to gain the necessary skills and have a high paying job. Going through with the pregnancy would delay the plans she already has set for herself. Because Sara G is on public assistance she needs to have an authorization from the social work agency that would authorize the funding for the abortion because it is not a necessitated emergency. In cases involving abortion the decision would have to be made by the social worker.

Because in situations like Sara G’s the decision of the abortion is made by the social worker she needs to have a signed authorization to go through with the procedure. Given her circumstances, I believe that funding for the abortion should be approved because otherwise she is only going to struggle and make her other four children struggle as well. If she were to have the baby, she would not be able to enter the job training program as she has planned to do. She barely has enough money for her and her four children, having another child right now would only worsen her situation. Although, it is not her fault that she has found herself in this situation someone else might argue that she should go through with her pregnancy and have the baby. It could be argued that she needs to file a court order to track down her husband and make him pay for child support. Another argument that could be made against her is that because she is on public assistance and she is having another child they would accommodate her living standards. Personally, I believe that funding should be approved for the abortion for the simple reason that bringing another child into such a precautious situation is not good for the baby or the children she already has. Bringing this baby into the family would actually deprive the four children of necessities because the mom would be forced to choose between the baby’s needs or the older children’s needs.
Morally, in society abortions are looked down on, people who are on public assistance are also categorized as “government leeches.” Many reasons can come into play when deciding to approve or deny Sara G’s abortion. One of those reasons is that she should think of the wellbeing of all of her children and not just of the one that’s on its way. Her abortion can be approved taking into consideration the wellbeing of all, and not just of one. When Sara G decided to have an abortion she was thinking of the betterment of her children and herself. She has chosen to make this decision wanting to better the current situation she is in. Also she is acknowledging the fact that a baby at this time would make her financial situation worse; preventing her from finding a job that would be suitable to sustain a family of five. On the contrary, an opposing argument to the abortion could be that if she is not in an economic position to have a child she should place the baby up for adoption. There are many options that she can choose to go through if she decided to go down the route of adoption. She can have an open adoption where she would be able to see the baby periodically or a closed adoption where she would never see the baby again. Furthermore, another argument that can be made against the abortion would be that she should have taken care of herself and gotten on birth control to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Because she did not take actions to avoid pregnancies she should be forced to deal with the consequences of her actions. Personally, I believe that decisions regarding abortion should be made by the couple taking into consideration their financial standing and whether the person is fit to be a parent. I do not necessarily believe that an abortion is the measure that should be taken in every situation, but in Sara G’s case, I believe this is the best option for her children and self. Medicaid is a Federal state entitlement program that pays for medical services on behalf of certain groups of low income persons. Medicaid ensures that low income families are taken care of medically. Medicaid also takes off the burden of having to pay for medical bills that often time’s people cannot afford. This system has its restrictions, as it will not cover any cosmetic surgeries or procedures that are not medically necessary or categorized as an emergency. There should be certain restrictions to abortion to Medicaid recipients. Some of these restrictions should be, if the abortion is desired because the pregnancy resulted from rape, abortions should be granted. Furthermore, abortions should be granted to females who are single with more than two kids and with no financial stability. I do not believe that abortions should be performed on anyone who is more than three months pregnant. Also if the female inquiring the abortion has Medicaid but is able to pay for her abortion, she should be denied approval based on the fact that she is able pay for it. Additionally, There should also be a restriction as to the amount of abortions that a person can have while in the Medicaid program to one abortion per recipient. People who are approved for abortions should be given birth control after receiving the procedure to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Medicaid should not be used as a leeway to get out of having to deal with the consequences of ones actions. To sum up, Sara G is in a crucial situation where she is faced with the decision of having to choose between her own children. She is not allowed to have an abortion unless her social worker approves it, she cannot afford to pay for it herself but she deems it is necessary to the wellbeing of her four children as well as hers. The decision to have an abortion should be made by the people who are pregnant with the baby, not an outsider whose input on the situation might be different than your own. Whether the social worker approves the abortion, it is solely up to her, but taking into consideration her situation the abortion should be approved, and if not Sara G should not keep the baby, she should place the child up for adoption. Birth control options should be offered to those females who are seeking to have abortions, but by the same token the system should not be exploited.