Santorum Opposes Mandates for Prenatal Testing

Rick Santorum said the government should not require insurers or employers to offer specific some forms of medical care – including prenatal testing.

"People have the right to do [prenatal testing], but to have the government force people to provide it free, to me...is a bit loaded," he said on CBS' Face the Nation. "I'm not for any of these things to be forced."

Part of the 2010 health care law that Santorum has criticized is a provision that requires insurers to provide prenatal testing for genetic defects or prenatal diseases for free. Santorum, whose daughter Bella was born with a rare genetic defect, has said in the past that such a policy only saves money because prenatal testing "ends up in more abortions."

In a heated exchange on Sunday, Santorum said that, while he thinks prenatal care in general is a good idea, thanks to prenatal testing for genetic defects, "almost 100 percent of children like mine are encouraged to be aborted."