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.
From the HHS document, dripping with hyopcrisy and heresy. They must really think the American voters are that stupid.
"The President’s policy respects religious liberty and makes free preventive services available to women,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Today’s announcement is the next step toward fulfilling that commitment.”
Today’s Federal Register advance notice concerning women’s preventive services calls for a 90-day public comment period. The departments will also hold listening sessions."
These “people” are pure Evil.
More shoe prints on OUR Constitution.
Half of this site seems perfectly fine w him getting a second term if their dreamboat does not get. Te nod.
When a man sitting in the oval office can order religions believe as he say believe, the country is no more.
Again, where is the opposition party?
Time for the Supreme Court to stomp down on these abuses.
Enough is enough.
Godless communists, the whole stinking lot of them.
If I were these employers I’d drop my insurance coverage for my employees which perhaps is the plan all along.
It becomes clearer why George Steph. asked that question at the January 7th debate about birth control. Clearly liberal “journalists” with inside knowledge, such as him, knew this was coming, and wanted to trigger the GOP candidates to say something that would make a good sound bite for the liberals.
I would love to see full disclosure in the media. For example, how often is George S. and others in contact with the White House? What do they discuss? How do they coordinate news coverage and conversations on the talking head programs?
Is George S. still in touch with his old bosses, the Clintons????
Half of this site seems perfectly fine w him getting a second term if their dreamboat does not get. Te nod.
You’re exactly right.
It’s a common misconception, that if employ(ers) pay the fine and drop coverage based on this bill - that employees will have an alternative which will replace it.
They will not.
Employees will have diddly squat.
Rush was all over this today.
The next president will spend do much time voiding all Obama’s executive orders, he will not have time get any other thing done.
I would like to think what we’re seeing is like an effective negotiation.
And effective negotiation, does not even admit the possibility of a concession, until exactly the moment of concession. Otherwise, negotiating leverage is zero.
Even in fact speaking of compromise at this time on this site, is a weakness.
If you see my point.
Now is not the time yet, for common ground.
They are slick as slime and are just that.
I doubt George S is in touch with the Clintons or the White House but they’re all on the same wave length.
If America were sane this would be viewed by all voters as a “kick me” sign on the rear of the entire Democrat party.
But instead they just watch in a hypnotized daze and in the end swallow the donkey dongs.
It’s past time to start giving a big FU to this evil regime.
Obamacare was never about health care.
It was about overwhelming the system.
He is just waiting for something like what just happened over in Afghanistan to declare martial law.
It’s the same kind of cr@p that brought the fabled excesses of unions onto our shores, whereupon US industry quietly went Galt.
Apparently this is a deep dark secret but almost every diocese here in Colorado is self insured.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
