Catholics, Contraception and the New Health Care Law
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-02-02/catholics-contraception-and-new-health-care-law
As President Obama addressed the National Prayer Breakfast this morning, Catholic groups around the country were roundly criticizing him. Earlier this week his administration reaffirmed new regulations requiring employers to include birth control in their health care plans. Churches are exempted from the ruling. But Catholic groups had lobbied hard for the exemptions to include faith-based organizations such as Catholic universities and hospitals. The White House said no, now some Catholic groups are saying they will not comply with the new mandate. Join us to discuss the growing divide between church and state.
Guests
Julie Rovner
health policy correspondent for NPR, author of "Health Care Policy and Politics A-Z," and contributing editor for National Journal Daily.
Judy Waxman
vice president of healthcare and reproductive rights for the National Women's Law Center
Mark Rienzi
professor of constitutional law, Catholic University of America
Comments
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I take contraception to mitigate extreme pain. Not all women take the pill for contraception alone.
The Susan B. Komen organization was founded to fund breast cancer research. How does funding Planned Parenthood further that mission?
They are the major provider of mammography services for poor women.
If any of these institutions are hiring people who don't share the degree of Catholic faith, then to refuse to provide contraceptives as part of their health care plans is the same as the Catholic church imposing their beliefs onto these people.
Birth control is not in the same category as mammograms; pregnancy is not a disease.
Would the government force Vegan grocers to sell meat?
This will be about the best this issue is covered by broadcast media, I think.
Can you imagine Diane Sawyer (for example) putting the fact that 98% of American women use this contraception in the first paragraph, or will she just let the right wing frame this overwhelming majority as "the other"?
freedomrocks76 wrote:
"The federal government has the authority to make many mandates regarding health, safety and national security"
I suggest you read the constitution with honest eyes and interpret it with it's original intent. These decisions were to be left to the states, that's why this country is called the united states. Each state has (had) the freedom in many ways to choose it's own destiny. Federal government activities were supposed to be very limited.
I do have to say; that I am very displeased with the recent legislation that dictates to employers that they must pay for contraception, sterilization or erectile disfunction (previous ruling). In my mind, all of these items are elective treatments or procedures. No one is stopping any one from having them; but I do not feel that any employer (religious or otherwise) should be forced to pay for them. It is an undue burden on religious organizations and smaller employers.
I am not catholic; but do agree with the church that this is a very direct affrond to them.
This is a mistake in an election year. A big mistake. Let the republicans keep imploding. Don't hand them an issue.
thank you, Jen Peoria, IL
If access to contraception is such a human right, how come the Administration is not requiring small businesses to provide it to their employees? Why are they exempt and not religious organizations?
if the religious organization has such strong beliefs against buying these health care plans, don't they have the freedom to not offer any health care insurance at all and just pay the penalty?
Longfeather with you. 12 years of Catholic schools. Grew up across the alley from Nortre Dame Nuns and across the street from the priest. Far too much hanky panky in the rectory not in the convent. I would ride my bike down the alley behind the priest house and would weekly see boxes of empty beer cases etc. One of the priest who was there when my younger brother was an alter boy was one of fingered pedophiles in Ohio.
Now my father is in a nursing home where there are over a hundred aging Precious blood nuns and I am having lots of conversations with them about the huge power struggles that they went through with priest and brothers.
As a kid I remember thinking that the Sisters did the bulk of the work. Never saw the priest really taking care of the sheep. Just in these patriarchal roles, basically having their every need taken care of. The priest had nice cars, house cleaners/cooks, gardeners, secretary/receptionist. I watched the nuns clean their own homes, yards, cook for themselves as well as teach and take care of the kids at their school. The Catholic church is a stodgy, patriarchal, losing system where mostly well educated, power hungry males attempt to maintain their control over those left in the church.
My father and some of the other older Catholic men laugh when we are watching the Pope, archbishop and some of those other rich white male Catholic fat cats and I say "they should give that money that they have spent on all of that fancy clothing, hats, shoes, etc etc back to the poor. Jesus would roll over in his tomb" They all laugh and not their heads.
The Catholic church needs to give the Nuns that are left in the church their just recognition and more power and say!
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Recently had some complications after my last pregnancy. My options were to have an ablasion which would make me unable to get pregnant again, have a D&C, or take oral contreception for 3-6 months. The first two options were expensive and/or traumatic and in my families financial case not options at the time. Thank goodness I had the options I did. Not only did I save the trauma and an expense of a D&C and the ablasion would have not allowed me to become pregnant again. This arguement to me is just about having control over women and descrimination of women.
I am not a Catholic and I attend Catholic University and have their health insurance. I wanted to point out a few things.
1- The insurance does cover birth control if prescribed for other medical reasons
2- I chose to come to Catholic University and knew about their health insurance policy having attended other Catholic universities. I was not forced to go; it was my choice. There are other universities in the country.
3-I know it is hard to find jobs because of the economy, but no one is forcing the employee to stay in that position if they are upset that birth control is not covered.
If the Catholic Church wants to determine womens choices on birth, life then they should also support full health care for all, push hard for liviing wages and full access to quality educations for all. Supporting those issues is pro life. The hypocrisy alive and well in the Catholic church is apparent to people around the world
"Birth control is not in the same category as mammograms; pregnancy is not a disease.
Would the government force Vegan grocers to sell meat?"
The comparison is not very bright. No one forces Vegan diet on us.
The pregnancy should be woman's choice at it is one of major health risks affecting women.
More or less misogynous clergy should not have say in it.
When someone dies prematurely, the Catholic Church likes to say "It's God's will." So isn't any form of preventative medical care contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church by interfering with "God's will?"
Does the insurance cover Viagara for men?
I am a senior citizen. I take a small dose of female hormones by prescription for menopause symptoms. When I was in a Catholic hospital all my medications were handed to me by a nurse except the hormones. I kept the hormone pills with my things and the nurse was allowed to remind me to take one but not to provide it or hand it to me, although I am well past the age of child-bearing. My partner also takes hormones so she will not use this hospital or any doctors associated with it.
We would not be having this discussion at all if insurance were not dependent upon employers. I resent that employers have any impact on the insurance that people have access to.
The Catholic church does not provide insurance to help people. It is to make money like all insurance companies. If they don't want to provide coverage then they should get out of the insurance business. Quit playing the freedom of religion card.
I am pro-choice, I am not a practicing Catholic, and I take birth control pills primarily for polycystic ovarian syndrome (after trying several other treatments that did not work). I also have health insurance through a religious organization, which it does not cover my birth control. I have tried to get insurance on my own but because of my PCOS and other issues, no company would take me.
While it would be personally beneficial for me to get insurance coverage for my prescription (and so I really wish it did), I just can't bring myself to say that these organizations should be required to cover it. I don't agree with the idea that birth control is immoral, but I have to respect the fact that the organization that provides my insurance does believe that and does not want to participate in what they may see as murder, a mortal sin.
This conversation is a strong argument for universal health care. If the government should fund conterceptives than they should fund all medical services. Please expand on this comment that was breefly touched on
I see a contradiction in the argument that the government should pay for these contraceptives. If the problem is that Catholics are being forced to purchase conceptions through insurance, how does the federal government providing the same drugs fix anything? They would still be paying for them through their taxes.
I am wondering how people would be weighing in on this issue would feel if we were talking about the religious decisions made by an Arab or Muslim faith. I think the temperature of the debate would be much hotter and the religiuos institiue would be under extreem attack. This is a sensitive topic and really needs to be thought thru... where is the line? How much power do we want religion to have? The government to have? I also find it infuriating that viagra is available in these insurance policies for UNMARIED men. If you are going to use faith as a reason for making policy then this hypocricy infuriates me.
What about the fact that men in the catolic church are the ones that decided that contraception was against church teachings....where is the womans voice in that decision, one that disproportionately affects their lives? If they have no say in that, shouldn't they have a say not following that if they choose and be able to get birth control?
It seems to me that this is another opportunity to play the Blame Game with our President. The proposed law started in 2000...that was stated from the start. Has it sat for years and years because the former Presidents simply did not want the controversy that President Obama now faces?
The insurance companies state clearly that it is more cost effective to provide birth control so not sure that the cost to the private religious universities and companies will be too high.
Do the private universities pay for ED drugs? If so, hypocrisy is running wild.
Finally, my daughter takes the pill for medical reasons - we have a strong faith and she is committed to abstinence. What happens to thousands like her?
Love the idea of the government to pay for birth control...we cannot get a national health program in place how on earth does anyone expect this idea to work?
This topic is just one more example of how archaic supernatural exploitation organizations are given special privileges that let them operate outside the critical thinking requirements we generally consider essential for making decisions in the modern world. No wonder we're in such a mess. It has always amazed me that a nation devoted to liberty is not offended by organizations who have for thousands of years been running inquisitions against those who offend their so called sacred rules. I recommend reading God's Jury, by Cullen Murphy for how these ancient habits attached to religion impact our world today.
"The comparison is not very bright. No one forces Vegan diet on us."
Precisely, and nobody is forcing employees of Catholic institutions not to use birth control. They are simply refusing to provide it. They can get it elsewhere if they please.
The pregnancy is not a disease.
To the woman who keeps bringing up coercion, I have to ask what definition of the term is she operating under?
If I choose not to drive to your house and prepare your breakfast, does that mean I am coercing you to make your own breakfast? What sense does that make?
And I watch nurses handing out pharmeceuticals all day long to the ailing and aged in a Catholic nursing home. Many of these folks would more than likely die sooner than later. Are pharmaceuticals "God's will"
Huge money making industry