This decision is illustrative of the connection between social and fiscal politics. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has ruled that insurers must now pay for a whole range of women’s health goods and services with no co-pays from the users. By what law or section of the Constitution did Sebelius make this ruling? None, other than ObamaCare, which was of course passed on purely partisan votes, and her own very liberal views. And it is interesting, that while the president obnoxiously calls on everyone to “put politics aside” regarding the debt deal, his administration just keeps on jamming politics into every aspect of our lives. The government under Obama is now inserted into the most personal choices we make, both for and against deeply personal behavior.
You opposed ObamaCare, or have religious objections to government getting involved in these decisions? Doesn’t matter. King Barack and his loyal lieutenants don’t care what you think.
Health insurance plans must cover birth control as preventive care for women, with no copays, the Obama administration said Monday in a decision with far-reaching implications for health care as well as social mores.
The requirement is part of a broad expansion of coverage for women’s preventive care under President Barack Obama’s health care law. Also to be covered without copays are breast pumps for nursing mothers, an annual “well-woman” physical, screening for the virus that causes cervical cancer and for diabetes during pregnancy, counseling on domestic violence, and other services.
“These historic guidelines are based on science and existing (medical) literature and will help ensure women get the preventive health benefits they need,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
This is not based on science and is completely unjustifiable in a free society. It forces some to pay for the lifestyles of others. And it’s doubly unfair because it leaves so many other co-pays arbitrarily on the table. For instance, this week I’ve been battling an eye illness. Thanks to great doctors and modern medicine, what might have blinded me in an earlier time is merely an annoyance for a few days. But every time I see the doctor to check up on it, I have to pay a co-pay.
I’ve made no choice to have an eye problem; it just happened. That’s life. But if you’re unmarried and using the pill, you’re making an affirmative lifestyle choice. I’m not going to get all Baptist judgmental, but why should I, through higher insurance premiums, have to pay for my own illness and for your lifestyle choices?
Thanks to the social liberals who run ObamaCare, that’s the way it is now. It’s not like we’re talking about extreme hardships due to cost or access.
Today, almost all plans cover prescription contraceptives – with varying copays. Medicaid, the health care program for low-income people, also covers contraceptives.
Indeed, a government study last summer found that birth control use is virtually universal in the United States, according to a government study issued last summer. More than 90 million prescriptions for contraceptives were dispensed in 2009, according the market analysis firm INS health. Generic versions of the pill are available for as little as $9 a month. Still, about half of all pregnancies are unplanned. Many are among women using some form of contraception, and forgetting to take the pill is a major reason.
Forgetfulness on the part of some should not result in others being forced to pay (and a co-pay demand won’t make people remember, will it?). One counterargument might be that you’re forced to pay for the resulting pregnancy through stress on social services — but that’s now true on both side of the pill’s role thanks to this ruling.
This decision is purely political. It also tears away at the notion of individual responsibility, and it may end up encouraging STD’s, which will lead to even more harm and higher insurance costs. Which, in turn, could end up reducing overall access as insurance costs more.
Nice work, Democrats. The plan to use ObamaCare to wreck private insurance seems to be well underway.
This is a way to force alternate insurance out of the market and is a direct assault on religious organizations. For instance look at large religious employers like Catholic Dioceses. Many Catholic Diocese in the US are Self Insured and offer the priests and lay who work for the dioscese a health insurance plan developed and managed by the diocese. Naturally, due to Catholic teaching, things like birth control aren’t covered. Since these plans don’t meet the mandated “minimum coverage” from HHS these plans would be illegal and the diocese would be forced out of the insurance market. Of course any alternative insurance options would come at a much higher cost anmd would carry moral issues for the Church to purchase those plans. Single payer here we come, exactly as it was designed to do…
Jerry, I hadn’t thought of that angle when I wrote this post, but I’m sure you’re right. This is direct attack on Catholic and other faith-based charities and organizations.
This morning one national reporter was saying the Catholic Church was against birth control. I think years ago the prelates gave up explaining about natural and artificial methods.
How is it a ‘direct attack’? And why does the government need to have the approval of religious denominations in order to pass regulations and initiatives that are shown to be helpful?
That would be similar to Unemployment Insurance requiring a Jewish person to work on the Sabbath in order to be able to collect benefits, or a having a health insurance plan that will only cover pork-based insulin (a no-no for Muslims).
More government spending – just what we need! Seems that nothing seems to dissuade the political class from trying to give us freebees. Hey, it’s not their money! Not going to even try to get into the morality of this…
Im a gyn. This is what will happen. No copay(which goes to me to pay overhead) means I get less reimbursement on an already highly discounted insurance payment. I dont believe the insurance companies will raise their reimbursement level to compensate for my loss. Most physicians will try to pack ‘em in to compensate for the loss. The quality of care will suffer because now economics will dictate that we spend even less time with the patient. And, as a result of the complaints that will be received because of this high volume practice style (which already affects many parts of the country), the medical profession will once again get blamed for being uncaring and discompassionate. As is the case now, more low level providers such as nurses will be recruited to slog out cookie cutter exams and menu driven dipositions for the new companies in the business to provide health care, namely hospital organizations who have taken over struggling practices with their deep pockets. Bottom line. We will no longer see the brightest students in medicine. Why would they bother? The money is not anywhere near what it used to be, and despite what people like to think, the potential to earn a good income drives our brightest students into their respective professions(otherwise we might all be priests). Oh. But I forgot, its bad to make money. Its not fair to others who dont. Doesnt anyone see this??
Lets see If I got “TM’ the gyno right! Women by the millions in the U.S. are going to be lining up to get their free gyno benefits and its going to be at a real out of pocket (bottom line) cost to the gyno’s.
I refuse to believe that! Oh! Not that the gyno’s will loose some income! I refuse to believe that anymore than 47% of eligible women will be participating in such government teat sucking. Surely the ‘conservative’ women will be paying their normal co-pay to the doc’s and gyno’s as they don’t believe in teat sucking free benefits.
From what I understand on here the TeaParty conservatives alone, represent at least the majority of women who won’t be in the line sucking teat for ‘free’ benefits.
Actually doc, Joe, Henry, Bubba, Dick and Peter will be paying for the womens ‘free’ benefits with the next premium and pharma and co-pay increases.
Relax doc, you’re not going to be losing your casa and economic status in your community. We’re gyno’s for 3K cows who deliver every year and we’ve never been broke in my 83 years of no co-pays from a single cow.
By the way doc. Talk about “pack ‘em in” I haven’t seen a doc’s office the last several years that didn’t look like a stockyard auction.
Can only speak for myself, not for all conservative women, but I have paid for all my own birth control. Never had insurance that covered it. And currently, I have a high deductible plan that requires me to pay for all healthcare expenses myself until I meet the deductible. I love my insurance plan but Obamacare will probably do away with the high deductible plans because of the pre-tax money I tuck away in my health savings account.
I applaud any person who can and are willing to pay their own way. However, for most american’s the arbitrary inflated cost of health care goods and serices, are beyond their reach.
Thanks for you input!