Much of the Affordable Care Act won't be fully implemented until 2014, but there are a series of breakthrough dates along the way at which new benefits kick in, helping millions. Today is one of them.
As Rachel explained on the air last night, starting today, insurance companies have to provide preventive care without copays or deductibles, a policy that especially benefits American women, who can now receive everything "from pap smears to detect cervical cancer, to STD screenings, to other kinds of cancer screenings, to gestational diabetes testing if you`re pregnant, to breast feeding supplies if you're a new mom" effectively for free.
OversightandReform/Flickr
And, of course, part of preventive care also means birth control -- a detail that apparently still troubles some folks on the right.
How troubled? This troubled.
A House Republican lawmaker likened the implementation of a new mandate that insurers offer coverage for contraceptive services to Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks against the United States.
Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly (R), an ardent opponent of abortion rights, said that today's date would live in infamy alongside those two other historic occasions. Wednesday marked the day on which a controversial new requirement by the Department of Health and Human Services, which requires health insurance companies to cover contraceptive services for women, goes into effect.
"I know in your mind you can think of times when America was attacked. One is December 7th, that's Pearl Harbor day. The other is September 11th, and that's the day of the terrorist attack," Kelly said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. "I want you to remember August the 1st, 2012, the attack on our religious freedom. That is a day that will live in infamy, along with those other dates."
For the record, there was no indication that Mike Kelly was kidding. In his mind, the day on which contraception is treated as preventive care in this country is, in all seriousness, comparable to 9/11 and the attack on Pearl Harbor.
In case anyone's forgotten, contraception access is not an "attack on our religious freedom." First, access to birth control is voluntary. Second, churches and other houses of worship are exempt from coverage requirements. And third, the Obama administration worked out a compromise of religiously-affiliated employers so they wouldn't have to pay directly for contraception as part of their insurance plans.
The comparison to mass murder is obviously absurd, but the underlying policy point isn't any better.
On a related note, President Obama's campaign remains very much on the offensive on reproductive rights, and launched a new interactive map this morning in order to highlight Mitt Romney's endorsers by state who've pushed legislation to restrict women's reproductive rights.
It reinforces the larger perception that Obama's team believes social issues cut their way with the American mainstream.
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If businesses and religious organizations want to deny birth control or any other woman's health issue coverage than they should be prepared to not accept any public funds(Medicare,etc to religious affiliated hospitals and nursing homes.) or any government contract that uses public funds(taxes). Also, be prepared to pay taxes as you shouldn't have non profit status.
He needs to get the h**l out of our government and religious views and quit shoving his s**t down our throats. They need to impeach his ass and get him out of every office of government there is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Members of Congress are not subject to impeachment. Congress may discipline members, up to and including expulsion, but that's not the same thing as impeachment. And under the First Amendment, he is allowed to say any amount of offensive and insane @!$%# he can think of. The beauty part is that the same First Amendment also allows us to tear him a new one for anything he says.
Hey, if the churches don't want to follow a federal mandate then maybe they could give up their tax exempt status and stop taking federal money...which they all do! Just a thought, become autonomous and truly separate from the government...then do what they want, til then...follow the law..period!
The Constitution gives the individual the right to religious freedom. It does not give organized religions the authority to impose their morality on any one person-that is what would violate religious freedom.
That has been a talking point of mine as well Ron RayGun The very thing that would also prevent unwanted children that could wind up as an additional cost to medicare for low income people is something the GOP argues against paying. When a child is born and paid for by medicaid they don't want to pay the cost to birth or raise that child but will argue that birth control provided for free is RIDICULESS and they shouldn't have to pay for it. The double standard irony is mind boggling
there's so much work to do in washington and all the republicans can think of is how can we make it worse for women. wow, one good thing, my viagra is safe.
I think all churches should be taxed. If they do anything actually charitable, they can deduct it like the rest of us. They should also not be exempt from any laws. Look at the native americans who can't use peyote. The catholic church should have NO SAY in how my doctor treats me.
I keep thinking about the "no free lunch" comment. If I remember correctly, recognized churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, etc. are exempt from property taxes. That sounds like free lunch to me, seeing as they still get police and fire protection. I feel that if they want to keep this exemption, they should stay out of politics. If the choose to enter the political discussion, the should have to forfeit their tax-free status.
Can't have all them uppity women thinking that they can control their own health care and reproductive rights, now can we?
Hey Kelly, you dumb@!$%# - lets go all the way and have women hide their hair and bodies, too.
How is this taking away anyone's religious freedom? No one is mandating that every woman use contraceptives. If it is against your religion use them.
Apparently this interferes with their plans to keep us so poor, ignorant, and desperate that we will surrender everything for a little food and shelter.
The sad thing is that his overblown rhetoric distracts from real problems with Obamacare.
While the congressman's rhetoric was way overblown, there are significant problems with Obamacare. Diana Furchtgott-Roth made a good point in her latest Washington Examiner column today about the Payment Advisory Board, which will lead to rationing of screenings, including for women. One example she gives is cervical cancer screenings, which are very expensive to administer and would be more cost effective if run once every four years: http://washingtonexaminer.com/presenting-alternatives-to-obamacare/article/2501768
It wouldn't surprise me if these guys, when asked about the availability of ED pills--which we all know isn't why the men really use them--have absolutely nothing of value to add to that conversation. But let them be reminded how contaception is prescribed also for various health concerns as well as the obvious reason, and they would no doubt look dumbfounded. And ask them if they feel there should be some kind of added help given for the children born to women who aren't going to be able to work, or who will need child care to do so afther these children are born, and they will be apoplectic at the thought that it might be the responsibility caused by their policy, even for married women choosing their family size. So perhaps these men deserve one thing....for the women they are married to to say a very loud "NOT IN MY BEDROOM!"
Rach...I have to call you a HACK journalist again...for the same reason...completely misrepresenting what the vast majority of republicans think in order to incite blind partisan intolerance. Again, I read all the comments on a story you have chosen, to find the usual anti-religious on and on. Why do I think you do this on purpose? How many congressman and women were there...5 or 10. Yes, there a few dyed in the wool Catholics still around (be sure and point them out). You didn't report how many...why? And of course this limited group speaks for all of us republicans, so you can say that were are ALL living in some sort of strange out of touch alternative reality = crazy stupid. Which is just flat out untruth and you know it. The poll you showed didn't detail how many of those surveyed were republicans...why. Cause then you couldn't do the wacky reality thing. Intellectual integrity Rach or just sad old hack ridicule? Do you read the comments, is this what you mean to inspire? Republican men and women like birth control just fine...stop implying we don't.
Again a reason politics and religion are not to mix. I am also sick and tired of the Republicans thinking they know how the majority of us feel. They are so off the track. Also they have a candidate who cannot answer a question - refuses to release his tax reports (we can guess why) and he so so out of touch with the common people. Why oh why do these people think they are representing us - they only think their money can buy them everything they wasnt. I have no respect for them, as for the religious people - just be aware that you do not represent me either. I vote for the man - his record - not by what he says because he thinks I want to hear it. With the congress we have now and with their absolute refusal to work together - that is who we need to be watching.
I’m a Republican, but comments like this make me question what happened to my party. This is the most disrespectful, tact-less comment I’ve ever heard — comparing women’s health care to the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children and the sacrifices made by thousands of brave American soldiers.
This is despicable. I don’t care who you are–Republican or Democrat or Independent. We need to all get together and say “Enough!” I’ve never donated to a Democrat in my life, but today I’m going to Missa Eaton’s page at https://m.actblue.com/entity/fundraiser/28709 and sending her $100 to send this crazy tea party bum home.
Now, now, those three events all do have one thing in common: The GOP didn't stop any of them.
Funny, I thought God gave human beings free will.
Having access to contraception is part of exercising my free will...
and intruding your religious beliefs into MY body takes it away.
If you choose not to use it, great. Let me deal with my own "soul"
and leave the judgment to the End.
Free will is only free will if it's possible to chose to do something contrary to another person's sense of right and wrong. And I think that's what freaks out right-wingers the most, the possibility that someone somewhere is doing something they wouldn't do themselves.