Posted on 03/16/2012 8:35:09 PM PDT by STARWISE
The administration this afternoon released its “Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on preventive services policy.”
Translation: President Barack Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius are moving forward with their controversial contraception mandate, which requires even religiously affiliated employers to provide their employees with insurance that covers contraception — even if those employers object to contraception on religious grounds.
But don’t worry: Secretary Sebelius says your religious liberty is assured, so it is assured.
“The President’s policy respects religious liberty and makes free preventive services available to women,” she said. ”Today’s announcement is the next step toward fulfilling that commitment.”
Never mind that, by drawing a distinction between actual churches and church-operated businesses like hospitals and schools, the administration effectively appropriated for itself the power to determine what constitutes ministry. Also, last I checked, there was no such thing as “free preventive services.”
Sandra Fluke should be happy, though. The administration made a final decision about whether it will require colleges to provide students with insurance that covers contraception, as well. Take one wild guess as to what their decision was. Yep, that’s right:
*** Administration officials also released a final rule governing student health plans. Under the final rule, students will gain the same consumer protections other people with individual market insurance have, like a prohibition on lifetime limits and coverage of preventive services without cost sharing.
In the same way that religious colleges and universities will not have to pay, arrange or refer for contraceptive coverage for their employees, they will not have to do so for their students who will get such coverage directly and separately from their insurer. ***
Note that the administration still pretends the mandate isn’t a mandate on religious employers if the insurers have to provide contraception coverage “directly and separately” to employees and students.
Actually, it’s still a conscience-violating mandate, as Ed explained when the administration first announced its “accommodation”:
*** So these employers will still have to provide the health insurance, and the health insurance must cover the contraception and abortifacients. The White House apparently wants to pretend that the funds for these outlays will come off of the Unobtanium Tree, where insurers find money to cover all mandates.
This exposes once again a stunning ignorance of risk pools and how costs are passed along to consumers.
Let’s just take this one step at a time. Where do insurers get money to pay claims? They collect premiums and co-pays from the insured group or risk pool.
No matter what the Obama administration wants to say now, the money that will cover those contraception costs will come from the religious organizations that must now by law buy that insurance and pay those premiums.
Their religious doctrines have long-standing prohibitions against participating in contraception and abortion, and nothing in this “accommodation” changes the fact that the government is now forcing them to both fund and facilitate access to products and services that offend their practice of religion.
Basically, the Obama administration told religious organizations to stop complaining and get in line. This “accommodation” only attempts to accommodate Obama’s political standing and nothing more. ***
Consider also that many religious employers are self-insured and have no insurer onto whom they can push the cost of contraception insurance.
The timing of this announcement just couldn’t have been better. As The Washington Examiner’s Joel Gehrke put it, “The announcement came late Friday afternoon, on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, as the second day of March Madness basketball games were under way.” People skip work to watch March Madness.
Think they’re going to turn off the TV to dig up a dry statement from Her Consistency Kathleen Sebelius? Not likely.
“We have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it”
What’s in it gave sebilius and obama authority to do whatever they desire.
When Pelosi said that I figured they learned from Hillary care not to let anyone know what was in it...learned from previous mistake...something republicans never learnl
I would not depend on the supreme Court. I trust them just a teeny tiny bit more than Obama, but only because we have perhaps 5 Judges there with a conscience.
The argument I use is this:
Are you OK that your healthcare dollars are being used to pay for free contraception given to wealthy lawyers?
“Something will always be manufactured in the USA”
What I’m finding in California is that it is down to Tortillas, and a little Defense related manufacturing, not much else. Makes is kind of hard to find a job when your background is a Manufacturing Manager, whom doesn’t speak Spanish.
These people despise freedom. They hate it.
The Constitution doesn't require respect of religion. The Constitution requires that there be NO LAWS having to do with religion. This law now has to do with religion.
The Constitution doesn't require respect of religion. The Constitution requires that there be NO LAWS having to do with religion. This law now has to do with religion.
The US has backed up its iou to china with REAL property. Land and mineral resources that have been put off limits to us. With more to come if oscama is reelected...or romney.
Not in this job market they won’t. Don’t forget other employers will be in the same boat. I just read an article yesterday that mentioned how many people have already lost their health insurance. Employers are already dropping it.
Someone my husband’s age with a health condition won’t be able to find another job with health insurance.
What they are doing is forcing us all on the government plans eventually by making it either too expensive or difficult to provide private insurance for employees. They are coming at us from all angles.
Is that code for "STFU and get behind the Massachusetts liberal?" The owner of the site might differ from that perspective.
I am a Ron Paul supporter who in the general Election is ABO at almiost all costs.
We need to get this communist thug and ghetto pofs out of ffice.
If you want to hold your breath and scream because your dreamboat is not the pick - than you know what? You are just as bad as every brain dead obama voter.
It has everything to do with socialist/communist/marxist/revolutionary CONTROL OF WE THE PEOPLE, be it a civil or religious issue, etc. THE WHITE HOUSE FREAK WANTS TOTAL CONTROL OVER US.
obozo continues to push, prod, REQUIRE that we obey, hoping we will rile up against him and he can then call up Marshall Law and come down on us.
Understand the motives of the ahole in the White House and handle yourselves accordingly. We the People also have a goal in mind, and we must succeed in November.
Just trying to get the lay of the land. Until all hope is lost, I stand against Romney. Doesn’t mean I’m for Obummer. This is not a binary world.
IOW, it’s too early to be bashing good FReepers for refusing to STFU. As far as I’m concerned, I am not committing to voting for whoever wins the Primaries. I may not vot GOP this time. TFB if you don’t like it.
Thanks Army Air Corps
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
[ Half of this site seems perfectly fine w him getting a second term if their dreamboat does not get. Te nod. ]
We are so screwed if Either Mittens gets in or Barry gets a second term.
Mittens would only slow things down and then in four years the GOP would be blamed so much but with little to show we would still be in an economic malaise the likes of Carter’s wet dreams. This would GUARANTEE a Democrat Victory over the house the senate and even the presidency in 2016. They would not be pulling any punches as they would run someone that would make Obama look like a middle of the road moderate. Because they know they would have a very good chance of winning. Not to mention the class warfare game that could be played to Bolshevik conclusion during that election if we get Romney and mediocre performance out of him which is very much likely.
Of course Obama winning would be a very much “nothing to lose” second term that would see him likely either completely destroying the economy so badly that they play the game of “Destroy and Support” in that they would destroy the economy and then support the people as the “great savior” thus ensuring either “Glorious Revolution” or the mass construction project of making millions more so dependent that they will have a permanent grip on power that would only come undone with Blood sweat and tears, but mostly Blood and Tears.
ABO and ABR, because we either need Newt or Santorum, hell I would take Ron Paul over Romney for the above reason above.
I will vote for Mittens if I have to and gladly so to prevent Obama from a second term because I am an optimist. But if Mittens gets in we will have to work TWICE as HARD than we did to defeat Obama just to keep the Mitt boat on course.
No one is bashing anyone. We are all entitled to do as we wish. And the statement was mine to voice. Move on, and take your misplaced anger with you.
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