Posted on 04/13/2015 3:30:08 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has denied a request from Democrats to create a special open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act for women when they find out they are pregnant.
In a response to the March letter sent by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said the agency does not have “the legal authority to establish pregnancy as an exceptional circumstance” to create a special enrollment period.
Lawmakers originally asked for the special enrollment period in an effort to address what they called a gap in coverage that could leave women without access to maternity care.
Burwell said pregnant women could enroll in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Burwell said HHS had not included pregnancy as a qualifying life event because it was following insurance companies in determining open enrollment periods. But she said then that HHS was open to considering the issue.
In a statement, Jen Mishory, executive director of Young Invincibles, a millennial advocacy group, said she too is “disappointed” in the administration’s decision to leave pregnant women vulnerable during a life–changing event.
“The administration has the authority to create special enrollment periods in cases like these, but is instead ignoring the calls to protect women's health of nearly 100 members of Congress, over 100,000 consumers, and dozens of organizations to do so,” Mishory said. “The administration has named many extraordinary circumstances qualifying life events for special enrollment, and there's no reason — legal or otherwise — they cannot do so here."
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
War on women
So is this just about women having the right to not pay for pregnancy coverage until they find themselves magically pregnant?
You mean there actually is some part of this law the regime can’t unilaterally rewrite??
They’re a full-service Death Panel. They include the unborn in their non-coverage.
Sounds like a setup - Obozo Admin says no, RATs will bring up in some amendment or something legislative & WAR ON WOMEN! GOP hate pregnant women!
Exactly!
They cannot re-write any of the parts they don't want to.
But I can guarantee that they’ll give them a taxpayer-funded ABORTION on demand once they find they’re preggers!
*SPIT*
How I loathe these b@stards!
Yep - it’s disgusting. GOP should be hammering the administration for saying no. Abortions free on demand but can’t help pregnant women? They should turn the tables on these a-holes. Play them at their own game.
Post of the day.
Take a bow!
Insurance companies don’t want to cover new patients who are already pregnant - too expensive. Since Obamacare is about paying off those with connections, and those with connections don’t want this special exception, Obamacare will not include open enrollment for pregnant women.
“Play them at their own game.”
At this point in my life (38 years in; been a Conservative Political Geek since I was 17) I’ve still not seen the GOP even attempt it.
So, don’t hold your breath. ;)
Burwell said HHS had not included pregnancy as a qualifying life event .........
*****************************
Operative word being “life” ... women are supposed to have abortions so pregnancy coverage isn’t necessary, don’t ‘cha know? /sarc
Had a similar thought. All along since the Democrats approved ACA the law has been altered, changed, morphed, etc. without any input from Congress, and now all of a sudden Congressional input matters!? All of a sudden the procedures outlined within our Constitution matter!?
Democrats are strange.
Give him a week.
Something for the exempt Cankles to chat about.
But, they continued, if you want to abort the child, we’ll get you to the right place...and it’s free.
Huh?? I guess they’d rather you get an abortion.
Can I wait until I’m diagnosed with prostate cancer to sign up for Obamacare?
Oh, the ole deny maternal medical coverage ploy so they’ll go get an abortion and the ACA covers that.
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