tagged w/ Reproductive Rights
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As is now widely known, added to the health care reform bill just passed by the House of Representatives was a provision barring access to abortion called the Stupak-Pitts Amendment. Passed with the support of sixty-four Democrats, Stupak-Pitts doesn't merely prohibit coverage of abortion in a public option. It also forbids women who receive a federal subsidy from purchasing any health insurance plan that covers the procedure, even if the abortion is paid out of a separate pool of private premium dollars (for all the background and details, see my colleague Emily Douglas' post).
If this highly regressive amendment makes its way into the legislation that Barack Obama eventually signs, millions of less affluent women who obtain access to affordable health insurance will thus join the ranks of low-income women on Medicaid, most of whom live in states that don't cover abortion procedures. The two-tiered system that dictates who in America has "choice" (more privileged women do, less affluent women do not) will be further entrenched.
But if the social consequences of Stupak-Pitts are clear, the logic is not. Supporters of the provision evidently want to assure taxpayers that they will not be forced to subsidize abortion in any way. But if they are serious about this, why haven't they drawn up an amendment abolishing tax breaks for employer-sponsored health insurance? As Jonathan Cohn has pointed out, this is by far the largest subsidy in health care policy today. (It is also a regressive subsidy, but that's another story.) If the employer-sponsored insurance that a worker gets happens to cover abortion – which, in roughly half the cases, it does – than that taxpayer already subsidizes abortion.
The purists who don't want any of their dollars to subsidize abortion have another problem. As Amy Sullivan of Time has observed, plenty of pro-life people likely have no idea whether their private health insurance plans include abortion services (in which case their premiums indirectly fund the procedure). The same goes for pro-life organizations. Sullivan did a bit of digging and found out that Focus on the Family provides its employees insurance through Principal, a company that - you guessed it - covers abortion procedures.
"If health reform proposals have a fungibility problem, then Focus does as well," Sullivan notes. "And if they don't think they do have a fungibility problem, then it would be interesting to hear why they think the set-up proposed in health reform legislation is so untenable."
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/494818/who_subsidizes_abortionAs is now widely known, added to the health care reform bill just passed by the House... more
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The health care bill passed in the House of Representatives on Saturday night makes many improvements to benefit women. It bans gender rating for premiums, prevents breast cancer survivors and domestic abuse victims from being denied coverage, and expands access to preventive care like cancer screenings.
Unfortunately, as a result of the inclusion of the Stupak-Pitts amendment, it continues gender discrimination by providing the largest expansion of anti-choice language since the Hyde Amendment.
Our message is clear: we will not support any final bill that restricts women's access to reproductive health services beyond current law. Before any bill reaches the President's desk, language that takes us back to the last century by undermining women's rights must be eliminated.
Like it or not -- and we don't -- the Hyde amendment prohibits federal dollars from being used to fund abortions except in the case of rape, incest or life-endangering threats to the woman. This denial of federal funding for a legal medical procedure has been contained in annual appropriations bills for many years. And it was included in the health bill before Representatives Stupak and Pitts offered their amendment.
The Capps amendment -- passed in the House Energy and Commerce Committee -- makes clear that not one federal dollar would be spent on abortions. It ensures that federal law will be maintained.
The Stupak-Pitts amendment goes much further. It says that the public option cannot offer abortion coverage to any of its enrollees -- even to those who pay 100% of premiums with their own dollars.
It says that no federal dollars can go to any health plan that includes coverage of abortion beyond the very narrow Hyde amendment exemptions - again, even for those who pay 100% of the premiums with their own dollars.
Read more at the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-diana-degette/protecting-a-womans-right_b_352782.htmlThe health care bill passed in the House of Representatives on Saturday night makes... more
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1. Abortion is legal medical care. "Abortion is a legal right, and it takes medical care to exercise that right," says Judy Waxman, vice-president of health and reproductive rights at the National Women's Law Center. (For their healthcare reform campaign, click here.) The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also chimes in here (PDF).
2. Abortion is common, mainstream medical care. It is one of the most common surgical procedures in America.
3. Abortion is already broadly covered. Between 50 and 85 percent of women who have private insurance, including employer-sponsored plans, have coverage for abortion care.
4. Covering abortion does not raise the abortion rate. As Gloria Feldt points out, "Countries like France, Germany and the Netherlands routinely cover abortion in their national health plans, and have some of the lowest abortion rates in the world."
5. Covering abortion makes abortion safer. Out of pocket, abortion can be expensive, all the more so as the pregnancy progresses. Yet women who take time to "save up" only wind up paying more -- and taking more risk. Feldt: "When abortion is covered, women who choose abortion do so earlier in their pregnancy, and with less risk to their health." Seventy-five thousand women die each year worldwide -- and many times that suffer lifelong disability -- due to unsafe abortions, usually obtained where abortion is illegal or highly restricted. "These are public health issues that also have economic ramifications beyond the cost of abortion," says Jodi Jacobson, senior political editor of RH Reality Check.
6. Covering abortion is what the people want. According to a recent poll by the Mellman Group, voters oppose reform that would prohibit insurance companies from covering abortion. The only subgroup of voters in which a majority favors such a restriction are established antiabortion voters. But even among them, 39 percent oppose restrictions on abortion coverage.
7. Excluding abortion from coverage sends us down a slippery "moral" slope. "Government policies that are based on the theory that private policyholders should not be forced to see their premiums used to cover things they consider immoral would result in a return to the days when contraception was not covered in individual plans for unmarried women and pregnancy was excluded in individual insurance plans and only covered in 'family plans,'" Frances Kissling told Broadsheet, recalling that this was the case when she entered the insurance market. Should people who oppose sex outside of marriage determine who gets covered for childbirth? By the same argument, we could also -- for example -- exclude coverage for HIV and AIDS if contracted through homosexual conduct." To which Katha Pollitt adds: "That many people disapprove of abortion is irrelevant. In a democracy, every citizen sees their tax dollars go for things they thing are wrong."
8. And about that "elective" business. Kissling: "Let's have insurance companies hold an annual poll of subscribers and decide on a majority basis what gets covered. Let's especially ask if they want their premiums to pay for obesity-related diseases, smoking-related diseases, STDs, neonatal intensive care where the life expectancy is less than 5 percent and put a cap on care for people over 80."
9. Without coverage, there is no "choice." Sex -- a natural human drive for most -- entails risks. Even with the best prevention measures, there will be unintended pregnancies. Jacobson: "Women must be able to make the choice of whether or not to bear children because unintended pregnancy entails emotional, financial and psychic costs that will be borne only or largely by the woman."
more at link...1. Abortion is legal medical care. "Abortion is a legal right, and it takes medical... more
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Liberals are criticizing conservative talk show host Bill O'Reilly for his harsh comments about Dr. George Tiller, who was shot to death while attending church on May 31, 2009, in Wichita, Kan.
Their argument is that O'Reilly repeatedly named Tiller as a late-term abortion provider and called him a "baby killer." That publicity contributed to Tiller's death, they say. Antiabortion activist Scott Roeder, 51, has been charged with Tiller's murder.
To be clear, we haven't found anyone saying that Roeder watched O'Reilly's show or was influenced by him directly. And we aren't attempting to check any claims or suggestions that O'Reilly's words incited violence.
O'Reilly responded to his critics in an opinion article posted on BillOReilly.com and in the conservative journal Human Events . He began by saying that Tiller "did not deserve his fate" and was "an American citizen entitled to protection."
"No matter what you think about abortion, it is a sad day for the country when vigilantism takes a life," O'Reilly wrote.
O'Reilly said that liberal groups were targeting him unfairly.
"Even though I reported on the doctor honestly, the loons asserted that my analysis of him was 'hateful,'" O'Reilly wrote. "Chief of among the complaints was the doctor's nickname, 'Tiller the baby killer.' Some prolifers branded him with that, and I reported it. So did hundreds of other news sources."
O'Reilly went on to criticize media outlets for glorifying Tiller in order to silence those who oppose abortion, especially late-term abortion.
We wanted to see what O'Reilly had said about Tiller, to see if O'Reilly was indeed being criticized for his reporting on other groups' characterization of Tiller as he said.
We searched transcripts of The O'Reilly Factor , his show that appears on the Fox News Channel.
We found at least 42 instances of O'Reilly mentioning Tiller by name, going back to 2005. In 24 instances, we found that O'Reilly referred to Tiller specifically as a "baby killer."Liberals are criticizing conservative talk show host Bill O'Reilly for his harsh... more
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Sonia Sotomayor affirmed during Tuesday's Senate hearing that Roe v. Wade is "settled law" -- but that doesn't settle nervous speculation about the Supreme Court nominee's stance on abortion. "Settled law" is the buzz-phrase often used by Roe supporters who view that ruling as a "super-precedent that has survived long enough without major challenge that it shouldn't be reconsidered," according to the Associated Press. That would seem a pretty strong and encouraging endorsement of Roe. However, as MSNBC points out, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, a George W. Bush nominee, also said that Roe was "settled law" during his 2005 confirmation -- only, he went on to add that the court was not obligated to uphold it.
This small reassurance from Sotomayor might not satisfy pro-choicers, but I suspect it's all we're going to get.Sonia Sotomayor affirmed during Tuesday's Senate hearing that Roe v. Wade is "settled... more
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Supreme Court aspirant Sonia Sotomayor said Tuesday that she considers the question of abortion rights is settled precedent and says there is a constitutional right to privacy.
The federal appeals court judge was asked at her confirmation hearing Tuesday to state how she felt about the landmark Roe versus Wade ruling legalizing abortion in 1973.
Sotomayor told the Senate Judiciary Committee that "there is a right of privacy. The court has found it in various places in the Constitution." She said this right is stated in the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure and in the 14th Amendment guaranteeing equal protection of the law. She declined to say pointblank if she agreed with the high court's precedent on this volatile issue.
Answering a question later from Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Sotomayor said that "all precedents of the Supreme Court I consider settled law," subject to the possibility of subsequent reversal, such as when the court last month renounced a previous precedent in a reverse discrimination case. It ruled 5-4 on the side of white firefighters from New Haven, Conn., who challenged a decision by the city to discard the results of an employee test in which they fared better than minorities who took the examination.Supreme Court aspirant Sonia Sotomayor said Tuesday that she considers the question of... more
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If you are a student, you probably see so-called crisis pregnancy center ads all the time on campus. They read something like, "SCARED? PREGNANT? NEED HELP? Call 1-800-HELP NOW for a FREE pregnancy test. WE CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR OPTIONS."
But the problem is -- these are false promises.
I am a member of Bruin Feminists for Equality at UCLA. We joined the Feminist Majority Foundation's Campaign to Expose Fake Clinics this Spring. Like the Campaign, we have two goals: to warn women, especially students, about fake clinics in our community and to let the government know deception on the public dime has got to go.
So-called crisis pregnancy crisis pregnancy centers lure women into their facilities with promises of free pregnancy tests and options counseling. But once inside, most provide women with false or misleading information about abortion, birth control, and sexually transmitted diseases. The real zinger is many of these CPCs receive our federal taxdollars to carry out their deception.
Follow link for the rest of the story By Myra Duran, a junior at UCLA and she is on the Executive Board of FMF affiliate Bruin Feminists for Equality at The Huffington Post.If you are a student, you probably see so-called crisis pregnancy center ads all the... more
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A Nebraska doctor said Wednesday that he will perform third-term abortions in Kansas after the slaying of abortion provider George Tiller, but would not say whether he will open a new facility or offer the procedure at an existing practice.
Dr. LeRoy Carhart declined to discuss his plans in detail during a telephone interview with The Associated Press, but insisted "there will be a place in Kansas for the later second- and the medically indicated third-trimester patients very soon."
"I just think that until everything is in place, it's something that doesn't need to be talked about" in detail, Carhart said a day after Tiller's family announced his Wichita clinic was permanently shutting its doors.
Follow link for the rest of the story By AP writer MARGERY GIBBS at The Huffington Post.A Nebraska doctor said Wednesday that he will perform third-term abortions in Kansas... more
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A reminder from Tanzania why we must keep abortion legal and safely performed by doctors.
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After a week of closure to mourn the death of murdered physician Dr. George Tiller, the clinic he founded, Women's Health Care Services, will reopen on Monday and "resume normal operations." This is according to Dr. Leroy Carhart, who, along with two other physicians, served on the clinic's rotating staff. McClatchy has the news:
"What people need to know is... the women's services that we provided for 30 years are not going to change," Carhart said. "The same abortion services will remain available in Wichita."
[...]
"Starting next Monday we should be back to 100 percent," he said.
Follow link for the rest of the story by Jason Linkins at The Huffington Post.After a week of closure to mourn the death of murdered physician Dr. George Tiller,... more
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Dr. George Tiller, one of the few physicians in the United States who performed late term abortions was murdered Sunday in the foyer of his church in Kansas. He is the eighth abortion provider murdered in the US since 1977 and his death is indicative of a larger assault on health clinics and providers who offer reproductive services, including abortion. Jennifer Pozner says that such actions are really cases of textbook terrorism and need to be identified as such.
Lynn Paltrow, Founder and Executive Director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, Jennifer Pozner, Executive Director of Women In Media & News (WIMN), a media analysis, education and advocacy group, Sunsara Taylor, a writer for Revolution Newspaper, and an abortion provider in the south take on the media’s response to Tiller’s death and discuss what pro-choice organizations need to do moving forward.Dr. George Tiller, one of the few physicians in the United States who performed late... more
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GRITtv
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6 months ago
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A Heartbreaking Choice - for parents who have
interrupted a wanted pregnancy after poor prenatal diagnosis.
"Read some of the stories of the women he helped here. The recurring theme is that these late term abortions happened because these women wanted so much to have a baby that they would not terminate until they were absolutely sure - after multiple tests - that the fetus had a condition incompatible with becoming a baby that could live and grow. And because they waited, they had to go to Kansas, since there was no provision in their home states for this procedure. And in Kansas, they encountered a doctor universally described as both caring and competent and an angry mob they had to pass through to get to him. Now only the angry mob is left - Dr. Tiller has been gunned down in his church by a long time anti-abortion activist."
--Excerpted from Dale Rosenberg's Live Journal.A Heartbreaking Choice - for parents who have
interrupted a wanted pregnancy after... more
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The last time the Supreme Court considered what the First Amendment has to say about license plates was in 1977, when it ruled that New Hampshire could not force George Maynard to drive around with plates bearing the state’s motto, which is "Live Free or Die."
Mr. Maynard said he was not satisfied with those options. He would, he said, choose life, "even if it meant living in bondage."
The justices probably thought their decision settled things as far as free speech and license plates were concerned, and for more than 30 years they have turned their attention to other matters. But now the flipside of Mr. Maynard’s case, involving license plates that say "Choose Life," is heading toward the court.
No one is forced to use the plates, which are available in 19 states and seem intended to appeal to those who oppose abortion rights. They are so-called "specialty plates," which are available for an extra fee to people who want to express themselves through their license plates.The last time the Supreme Court considered what the First Amendment has to say about... more
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The "morning-after pill" will be available without a prescription to women 17 and older, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. The minimum age has been 18.
Plan B, also called the morning-after pill, is intended to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex.
On March 23, a federal court ordered that Plan B, an emergency contraception pill, be made available over the counter to those 17 and up, the agency said in a statement on its Web site. The agency will not appeal that order, the statement said.
In the order, U.S. District Judge Edward Korman also asked the agency to consider whether the pill should be available to women of all ages without a prescription, saying that such a determination is best left to the expertise of the FDA rather than a federal district judge.
And he rebuked the FDA for apparently departing from its own procedures with respect to making decisions on the pill's over-the-counter status, noting the "unusual involvement of the White House in the Plan B decision-making process."
The plaintiffs in the case presented "unrebutted evidence of the FDA's lack of good faith" toward the application to switch Plan B from prescription to non-prescription use, the judge wrote.
"This lack of good faith is evidenced by, among other things, (1) repeated and unreasonable delays, pressure emanating from the White House, and the obvious connection between the confirmation process of two FDA commissioners and the timing of the FDA's decisions; and (2) significant departures from the FDA's normal procedures and policies ... as compared to the review of other switch applications in the past 10 years," Korman wrote.WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The "morning-after pill" will be available without a prescription... more
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mik661
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7 months ago
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As the mastermind craftsman behind the Sulemon Octuplet has been indetified, a bigger ethical dillemma is unveiled: The majority of clinics failing to meet guidelines. Should bioethics committees demand legal rules or stick with weak penalties already set implace?
...Click Picture for the Huffingtonpost Article with CDC links at the end.As the mastermind craftsman behind the Sulemon Octuplet has been indetified, a bigger... more
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This is what happens when healthcare providers feel empowered to impose their birth control views on other people. If you believe that IUDs are abortion because they "push out" fertilized eggs (which they don't), maybe you should find another line of work.This is what happens when healthcare providers feel empowered to impose their birth... more
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The contraceptive pill is polluting the environment and is in part responsible for male infertility, a report in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said.
The pill "has for some years had devastating effects on the environment by releasing tonnes of hormones into nature" through female urine, said Pedro Jose Maria Simon Castellvi, president of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, in the report.The contraceptive pill is polluting the environment and is in part responsible for... more
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Can you imagine living in a place where health insurers won't cover birth control because it is considered an "abortion"? Where even rape survivors are denied emergency contraception? Where you have to worry whether your doctor will deliberately withhold information from you based on his or her own personal bias?
Despite a month of protest by Planned Parenthood supporters, the Bush administration is still trying to redefine "abortion" to include birth control, jeopardizing access to basic health care for millions of women. The Houston Chronicle says this could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and that protect rape survivors. And since it's being pushed as a "rule change" it doesn't need congressional approval.Can you imagine living in a place where health insurers won't cover birth control... more
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this is frightening.
Of 398 campus health centers at four-year colleges that responded to a questionnaire, 48 percent routinely refer women who think they might be pregnant to CPCs. Although 81 percent also refer women to full-service health clinics, some campus centers say they want to give students "all of the options," as one health-center director put it.
Nearly 50% of health centers on campuses are referring students to Crisis Pregnancy Centers - many of which are staffed with anti-choice activists. September 25th was the deadline for a comment period regarding a newly proposed "rule" that would alter our ability to access to birth control, the morning after pill, and abortion. This rule would have other results, including sending more federal funds to Crisis Pregnancy Centers.
-- This regulation could undermine good state laws that require hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape survivors and ensure that pharmacies fill women’s prescriptions for birth control.
-- The proposal could allow health-care corporations (hospitals, HMOs, and health plans) to refuse to provide services or make referrals for birth control.
-- The proposed regulation could affect Medicaid and the Title X family-planning program. For instance, staff at clinics or health-care plans that contract for Medicaid services could refuse to provide contraception.
"Full-service clinics that receive federal Title X funding are mandated to provide non directional options counseling that [doesn't] guide a person...to terminate or carry the pregnancy,"she says, "whereas the very mission of a crisis pregnancy center is to persuade a woman with an unintended pregnancy to carry it to term."this is frightening.
Of 398 campus health centers at four-year colleges that... more
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matea
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added this
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1 year ago
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Say what? She can't call them terrorists, what would she call them?
Abortion Clinic Bombers ARE Terrorists! Plain and simple! Say what? She can't call them terrorists, what would she call them?
Abortion... more
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