Update 11:20 AM CDT: The President is speaking now, saying a compromise has been worked out where the insured will have access to contraception by going straight to the health insurance companies without putting their employers in the loop. If so that sounds to me like a perfectly reaosnable solution which addresses the concerns of everyone. Which is to say the right will hate it and some on the left are hastily writing about the Caver in Chief. Note: headline above slightly altered.
(USA Today) — “Under the rule, women will still have access to free preventive care that includes contraceptive service no matter where they work,” Obama said. “That core principle remains. But if a woman’s employer is a charity or a hospital that has a religious objection to providing contraceptive services as part of their health plan. The insurance company–not the hospital, not the charity–will be required to reach out and offer the woman contraceptive care free of charge without co-pays, without hassle.”
Update: tentative reports and tweets flying that Catholics United and other religious orgs have signed off on the deal Obama will announce shortly. If so that’s gonna take some wind out of the sails of the religious right. A sign the fundies leaders are panicking would be if they try to shift the narrative to something like “How bad did Obama screw up this time?”
Much ink and gads of electrons have been spilled over the contraception vs religious edicts issue. Since it’s become almost wholly political — recent reports indicate high-ranking members of the Roman Catholic Church have been gearing up to fight this for months — the WH announced an announcement coming around noon eastern time. The devil is in the details, but it sounds like the administration may have called an audible end run around the primary obstacles:
(TPM) — “All women will still have access to free preventive care that includes contraceptive services,” the official said. “The insurance company will be required to reach out directly and offer her contraceptive coverage free of charge,” if the employer objects to providing that coverage in its benefit package.
If employees could go straight to the insurance company and no burden falls on the employer, the issue could be handily resolved. Needless to say, social conservatives are unlikely to let up. There’s fear in the water and it’s not like the religious right has much else to work with lately. But the efficacy of that attack might be blunted if this comes to pass.
I don’t really understand how this works… Insurance companies would have to give employers a discount if they balk at the contraception requirement I guess?
In any case, as long as the compromise doesn’t entail taking away women’s health services, I guess I’m fine with it.
I’m guessing … but if there is cost involved and the employer doesn’t have to cover it, either the government covers it or some book keeping method kicks in that spares the employer.
As I understand it, the plan will actually save insurance companies money (more contraception use = less money spent on prental and postnatal care), so there’s no need to give employers any special discount.
The upshot is that women will have to fill out one extra form and mail it directly to the insurance company, but it achieves the same goal of granting women access to birth control coverage.
Of course, it doesn’t include giving a pony to Glenn Greenwald, so many on the left will still be calling it a “massive cave”. And since it doesn’t punish women for being “dirty whores” (ie, actually having sex and liking it), the right will still demonize it as an assault on their religious liberty.
In other words, it’s a good plan.
I’m liking you more everyday d cwilson :)
I aim to please.
It’s brilliant! It’s no longer a religious issue, so the wingnuts can’t complain any more without coming out as being anti-contraception.