The Stupak amendment, the anti-abortion provision in the House bill that was included to essentially ensure passage among wavering Democrats, has been garnering attention lately. Because of its language with respect to abortion services (the amendment to HR 3962) which may be taken advantage of by low income women, many on either side of the ideological aisle are concerned where this bit of legislation will go as the Senate prepares to debate the reform bill.

Essentially, any patient who qualifies for a federal subsidy to participate in insurance exchanges under the reform legislation will be subject to exclusion of this type of family planning. The ensuing slippery slope, some warn, would be the cessation of coverage for abortions from all insurance policies — possibly widening to include a ban on coverage through large employers, affecting a potentially wider group of women and their overall healthcare coverage and access.

President Obama is calling for a change in the amendment’s language. Meanwhile, most are still split on the reform bill at this stage, according to opinion polling [PDF]. As the future of reform and this amendment remain unknown, one thing is certain — the debate on the reform bill just became more politicized than ever.

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