New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
As Mollie predicted below, the White House has announced a new "compromise" on mandated coverage for contraception. Apparently, schools, hospitals, and other organizations that don't fit into the original narrow exemption, can choose not to offer contraception coverage, but their female employees will get contraception coverage directly from the insurance companies, free of charge.
Help me out, but isn't this a shell game? (I see that George seems to agree...) If the insurer has to provide contraceptive coverage free of charge, won't it simply pass the cost on to the employer, meaning that the religious organization will end up subsidizing abortifacients indirectly?
The White House appears to be anticipating this argument with its "Fact Sheet" which notes that covering contraception "saves money for insurance companies by . . . preventing spending on other health services." What do they mean by "other health services?" Do they mean abortion? Or is it the even more chilling point that the morning-after pill is a bargain because it avoids the expense of babies?
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Apr '11
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
Maybe I'm missing something. How is this good politics? These maneuvers signify the presents of lightweights. If the administrator didn't insist on this obviously poorly thought out mandate from above they wouldn't have had to "compromise" and redirect from whom they are going to boldly steal property. This theft of course will be passed on to the consumer.
Jan '12
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
It"s bull---they want to insist on their agenda being implemented --- I am sure this has been covered But The Goverment is mandating coverages that I do not want and will not use And making me pay . There are many more destructive ""Benefits""??? Covered that do much harm Electric Shock Anti depression Drugs Mental Treatment The Government has no business mandating what I want in my Heath coverage
Dec '10
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
Of course it's bunk. But, you want to hear the depressing part? The news is reporting that some Catholic agencies are happy with it. Gaaaah!
Jun '10
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
I just sit here and say to myself, "The President of my country just stands up to the podium one day and announces that he is going to force an industry to do what he says by diktat." What has happened to this country? Liberals rejoice today, but then again, they have enabled a simple process. A president down the line can simply stand up to that same podium and reject the same rule that Obama has decreed (as Gingrich has already declared). We should not rejoice at either situation as it is just government by fiat. My God, how did we get here?
As for your question, Adam, yes, there does seem to be a sinister element to their comments. Perhaps it is abortion they are referring to or perhaps its something even worse... pregnancy.
Jun '10
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
Dave, I clicked "Like" to your comment, but really, I want to throw up.
Aug '11
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
I am asking myself that same question today. Of the three branches of government, none of them seem interested in preserving our liberties. It should not have fallen to the church to point out how unconstitutional the HHS mandate is. Our legislative branch should have done that immediately. If not them, our judicial branch.
When the Senate breaks the law by not passing a budget in over 1000 days, who holds them accountable? What good is a law if no one enforces it? (And need we be reminded that attempts by Arizona to enforce a federal law resulted in the federal government bringing a lawsuit against them.) Does the Constitution mean anything anymore?
Obviously these recent offenses are only the tip of the tyrannical iceberg.
It's becoming intolerable. This long train of abuses and usurpations suggest that it may be time to provide new guards for our future security.
Jun '10
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
Drew, say more.
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
There is no such thing as "free of charge" when it comes to insurance coverages.
The underwriters can so easily hide the cost of the "free" contraceptives in their policies elsewhere that this announced plan is truly meaningless.
The underwriters have discretion on how much weight to give the risk of an insured needing a procedure. They simply raise the risk of another procedure to allow for a higher premium and there you go.
The cost of contraceptive as compared to the cost risks associated with the rest of the coverages in a medical policy are so small that the insurance underwriters will need an adjustment so small no one will notice anyway, if they need one at all.
In fact, my prediction is the current premiums do not go down because of the "free" contraceptives. They will stay the same, and the contraceptive coverage will simply be labeled "free."
What a joke.
If Catholics fall for this and still vote for this guy....
Edited on February 10, 2012 at 8:36pmMay '10
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
Exactly right, Dave. The greatest tragedy in all of this is that so many politicians and voters are even considering the possibility that the President or HHS has the authority to enact such a mandate.
What we are witnessing is the extension of political power beyond political authority. Authority is an abstract concept. Power is a visceral force. Authority depends upon power. In a healthy society, they work in unison. In modern America, they are being separated.
As Rush pointed out this morning, Democrats cite the Constitution only when they can use it to achieve their goals. "They are opposed to opposition." The Constitution becomes more irrelevant every year.
Dec '10
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
So, instead of telling Catholics and other religious people they must buy health insurance that covers contraceptives, now they are telling Catholics and other religious people they must buy health insurance and telling insurance companies to offer only plans that cover contraceptives with the costs hidden. Did I get that right?
Jun '10
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
HHS views pregnancy as a disease. Remember that this mandate was announced as part of a package of "preventive health services," from the press release:
What "disease" does contraception prevent if not pregnancy? Clearly "because of cost" too many American women didn't get the "care" they needed to avoid or delay the onset of pregnancy, lead productive lives, and reduce the health care costs associated with this expensive malady.
Oct '10
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
Keep pushing back!
From the NYT here. The counter-charge must break the enemy's lines!
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
DrewInWisconsin Does the Constitution mean anything anymore?
· 1 hour ago
That is a question I will be addressing in a new podcast series coming to Ricochet... soon!
Mar '11
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
Hmm...lemme see.
Someone needs to ask Obama how much he's willing to spend on this blatant reduction of government revenue.
Aug '10
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
Forgive me, as a puzzled gentile, but isn't this a shabbos goy ruse? C'mon! This isn't a case of a "tin ear" -- it's a lead ear.
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
TKP, that's my read also. Our most gracious king has decided to move his offensive mandate upstream a step and therefore out of our direct line of vision. Who says Barack Obama is an ideologue incapable of compromise?
Jan '11
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
It's like they want us to thank the kidnapper for not going through with his demand for a million dollars ... he "settled" for only half a million. What a sweet and reasonable guy!
Nov '11
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
I think all the kidnapper did was translate the demand into a different currency. Same amount of money.
Jun '10
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
Adam Freedman:
The White House appears to be anticipating this argument with its "Fact Sheet" which notes that covering contraception "saves money for insurance companies by . . . preventing spending on other health services."
Set aside the conscience issues for a moment and stop to think just how breathtakingly arrogant this claim is. If eliminating co-payments on preventative care really does "save money for insurance companies" then why haven't insurance companies already figured this out? This idea is so very clever that only the geniuses at HHS could dream it up.
Further, if it really were true why would they need to mandate it? Shouldn't the insurance companies be rushing to implement it voluntarily so they can save money and increase their profits? Essentially they are saying insurance executives are so monumentally stupid that they either can't or won't maximize their own profits unless the federal government forces them to do so.
Nov '11
Re: New HHS Rules (and Remember, Contraception Saves Money!)
Some thoughts from Reason: