02-09-2012, 04:35 PM
It's not about mandates, it's about access. Federal law now says all American women must have access to birth control, among other basic health services not previously covered in many plans. Employers don't have the right to block that access, whether they are religious or not.
Religious institutions are not required to prescribe, recommend, sell, or dispense the birth control. They just cannot tell health insurance plans that they can't cover it.
Seems really basic to me.
And the largest Catholic institutions in the country already have insurance plans that cover birth control, and it has not been a big deal to them, at all. And they were given the option to opt out, but chose not to. Haven't heard a peep out of the Bishops about that. Because they are well aware that the vast majority of their female employees use birth control, Catholic or not.
This is nothing but political. It plays to the extreme base and helps people like Rick Santorum, but it drives women voters (and not a few men too) away in droves. So Republicans, keep it up!!! Please.
Religious institutions are not required to prescribe, recommend, sell, or dispense the birth control. They just cannot tell health insurance plans that they can't cover it.
Seems really basic to me.
And the largest Catholic institutions in the country already have insurance plans that cover birth control, and it has not been a big deal to them, at all. And they were given the option to opt out, but chose not to. Haven't heard a peep out of the Bishops about that. Because they are well aware that the vast majority of their female employees use birth control, Catholic or not.
This is nothing but political. It plays to the extreme base and helps people like Rick Santorum, but it drives women voters (and not a few men too) away in droves. So Republicans, keep it up!!! Please.