Pres. Obama is taking it on the chinfrom some groups on a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires insurers to drop deductibles and co-pays for FDA-approved contraception drugs and devices.
Some Republicans — including the party’s frontrunner for the presidential nomination — liken the policy an attack on religious freedom. But, as writes Sahil Kapur at TPM:
…the policy itself carves out an exemption for churches and doesn’t require any individual or employer to violate a religious belief — it simply ensures that their employees with different beliefs have the same access to birth control as all other women.
Do you think citizens should have access to no-cost birth control? Do you think access to contraceptives is a public health issue? I do, and if you do, too, you can sign a petition here.
And thanks, Cynical, for the link.
You can read more about how the act and contraceptives and preventative care here. And you can read more on Mitt Romney’s thoughts on birth control here. And thanks, Jennifer, for that link.
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6 Responses to Birth control is a public health issue
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It’s not actually “no-cost birth control”.
The PPACA, to be amended by the collaboration between the DHHS, private insurers and businesses, only requires the cost-sharing, deductibles and co-pays, be removed from insurance plans. The remaining cost of government approved reproductive health services will be covered by an insurance policy paid for by the consumer. Health insurance is not health care. It’s only a ticket to get in the door.
This is a move to ostensibly make reproductive healthcare more affordable and theoretically more accessible. However, there is nothing to stop private health insurers from passing the increased cost of covering reproductive health services on to consumers by increasing the costs of premiums.
There is also nothing to stop the government from changing the definition of “government approved”. Policy can, and does, change depending on the political fortunes or misfortunes of the ruling elite. As Breslin implies in her article, this is part of a campaign strategy that could disappear once the election cycle is complete.
The fact we even discuss whether reproductive healthcare is or is not a public health issue illustrates the extent of the control reactionaries exert over the issue.
Thank you.
Was I snarky? I didn’t mean to sound snarky. I apologize if I was.
Not at all.I appreciate the distinctions you make, and I mean it.
You’re very kind. Thank you.
NOT a good morning. Probably not a topic for me to dwell on today.
I’ll leave that up to Margaret and Helen.
There appears to be substantial evidence that Catholics themselves favor having birth control available.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2012/02/contraception-catholic-bishops-obama-hhs/1
I know the sound-bite-slingers in the political class LOVE to claim that they speak for “the large majority of American people,” but it looks like that may just be one more case of making stuff up. Or, as the fine senator did when talking about Planned Parenthood spending 90% of its budget on abortion, saying things “that are not intended to be factual.”
Loved the Margaret and Helen link, by the way.