....The criterion of affordability is based on our preferential option for the poor and vulnerable: The first priority in financing the system should be that health care is made affordable for the poor who are most in need of help.
Fairness to immigrants is essential because the right to health care is based on simple membership in humanity, not in political status or place of origin....
....Because we will work with members of Congress on all our issues related to human dignity, we end up being seen as part of the "liberal" coalition on immigration and affordability, and part of the "conservative" coalition on abortion.
We simply see these as complementary aspects of our single message on human dignity. In the effort to address the abortion problem itself, we worked with committed groups ranging from Family Research Council (seen as politically very conservative) to Democrats for Life and Sojourners, seen as being on the liberal side of the spectrum.
Imagine the NERVE and GALL of these Bishops to be involved in the HC debate!!!
Scope of Catholic health care in the United States
• There were more than 16.9 million emergency room visits and more than 92.8 million
outpatient visits in Catholic hospitals during a one-year period.1
• Catholic health care systems and facilities are present in all 50 states providing acute care,
skilled nursing, and other services including hospice, home health, assisted living and
senior housing.2
• Catholic hospitals employ 525,193 full-time employees and 233,934 part-time workers.1
• More than 5.5 million patients were admitted to Catholic hospitals during a
one-year period.1
• There are 60 Catholic health care systems.
1. 2007 American Hospital Association Annual Survey
2. 2008 Official Catholic Directory
” Catholic employers could find themselves penalized for trying to purchase health coverage consistent with their core convictions, as they cannot comply with a “basic benefits package” that mandates inclusion of procedures such as contraception and sterilization. Catholic health care providers could also find themselves marginalized in a health system that is required by the government to ensure ready access to procedures that Catholic facilities do not provide. Individual Catholics may no longer be able to find a Catholic health plan in line with their own moral convictions, because Catholic ethical standards do not live up to the government’s idea of an essential benefit. These issues need to be addressed in the legislation.”