Posted on 08/12/2014 7:07:58 PM PDT by Morgana
Two California Catholic universities–Santa Clara and Loyola–want not to cover “elective” abortion in their health insurance policies.
That won’t do! After first giving its OK, California may now try to force them. From the San Francisco Chronicle story.
The state Department of Managed Health Care is conducting “an in-depth analysis of the issues surrounding coverage for abortion services under California law,” said Marta Green, the department’s chief deputy director.
What the department is reconsidering, as first reported by California Lawyer magazine, is whether the universities are violating a 1975 state law that requires managed health plans to cover all “medically necessary” procedures. Until the current controversy arose, insurers in California had treated all abortions sought by women in their health plans as medically necessary.
californiaThe term “medically necessary” is one used in insurance to determine whether a procedure is covered. It is not the same as elective vs. non-elective procedures.
Still, it is hard to see how abortions are truly medically necessary. Here is the definition:
A. Appropriate for the symptoms and diagnosis or treatment of a condition, illness or injury.
B. Provides for the diagnosis or direct care and treatment of the condition, illness or injury.
C. In accordance with the standards of good medical practice in the service area.
D. Not primarily for the convenience of a plan member or a plan provider.
E. The most appropriate level or type of service or supply that can safely be provided to the plan member.
Most abortions actually fall under D–for convenience.
Insurance companies can treat abortion as medically necessary if they so choose–no doubt because it is cheaper for them than paying for a pregnancy and beyond.
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But that isn’t the issue. The question is whether the state should force all abortions to be deemed medically necessary, and hence, mandate all insurance plans to cover every abortion.
For the universities, this is a religious issue:
Leaders of both universities said they were driven by religious principles. “Our core commitments as a Catholic university are incompatible with the inclusion of elective abortion in the university’s health plans, Engh’s office said in a statement.
So what? Conscience on issues such as abortion cannot be allowed.
Do you see how abortion–like slavery did in the 19th century–corrupts everything it touches?
Say goodbye to your religious rights america.
take those endowments and go elsewhere
if they have some out of state campuses, it might not be that hard to leave the Peoples Republic behind
Liberals are all for freedom of choice - as long as you choose they way they want.
If they are Catholic colleges, they will relocate out of state before doing that.
If not, they are no longer Catholic.
The Church no longer has Freedom of Religion. Liberals, who claim to give liberties and justice, and taking away liberties and justice and forcing their beliefs and values on the Church. We are no longer a free nation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16K6m3Ua2nw
As long as neither school is taking state funds - and one assumes as private universities, they are not - they should have the right to tell California, Ms. Green, and Jerry Brown to go pound sand.
Whether that’s how this plays out, though, might well be another matter.
Refuse to comply. Churches in general have to grow a set.
I’d like a hair transplant, a nose job and skin resurfacing.
Those are medical necessities.
Wasn’t this issue just decided by the Supreme Court in Hobby Lobby?
Yes they do. And in this case it starts by being willing to tell the state of California to go to hell.
And in this case it starts by being willing to tell the state of California to go to hell.
______________________________
I would rather see them tell the state, “NO, we refuse to commit sins that will send us to hell.”
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Santa Clara and Loyola are both Jesuit schools.
Gov. Brown spent three years in a Jesuit novitiate after high school.
Don’t take the federal and/or state money. You will make it as a university.....they can’t force you to do this if you aren’t taking their $$.
This is where the attorneys get richer.
There are a bunch of Catholic Universities in California. How come only two of them have an issue with this?
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