I know condoms are free for anyone to walk in and grab no questions asked, and I know you can get a prescription on-site for birth control pills, but I don't know if you can get the Pill for free, or if it's just heavily discounted. But I know at a minimum they assume you have no insurance, and the cost is going to be aimed at low-income budgets.

Here's another poser for you (collective you, but mostly people like merc who think the church should be able to opt out): if the catholic church - or their affiliated schools, hospitals, etc - doesn't recognize gay marriages as "marriage", should they still, in states where gay marriage is legal, have to acknowledge the civil compact between a gay employee and their spouse, when it comes to health insurance coverage or other benefits that extend to spouses?

Thats a good one, Ibs. I can respect them choosing not to marry within their religion, but on first thought I would have to say yes they should.

As I said in my post above, this fight is not about contraception.
It is a power struggle of the Catholic Bishop's Conference.


NY Times
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
February 11, 2012

Bishops Reject White House’s New Plan on Contraception
I think this says that an insurance company can have religious beliefs or moral convictions.
This argument will be used by corporations to push further their control into the lives of employees 24/7/365.

There was no compromise offered, money was never their issue AFAIK.


Ibs got me thinking too...
I wonder if Muslim hospitals be allowed to be run based on Sharia Law?

Sharia law is a red herring. Santorum is more their man.

@ Lamp - huh? I really know nothing about their medical preferences. Just curious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't think the state or Feds should allow religious institutions to decide for us.
Then again, I really don't want the Gov't choosing either. (shrug)

Did you watch Meet the Press this morning.

This is a planned campaign
- "Not Romney"
- "Not Obama"
- Paul is unelectable
- Gingrich is uncontrollable
- Suddenly Santorum has $

Certainly this poses a problem for American-British same sex unions. In Britain they are accorded spousal status. In America the Brit has to queue separately as an Alien. The union is not legal and not recognised.

And the same worry occurs in case of injury or death overseas. Men who have been together 10, 20+ years (and the rest) with no rights and no say in the life of their loved one.

But of course we're talking about something as ridiculous as marrying your dog, so it doesn't matter.

What about the rights and conscience of the employee?

Can you spell D-E-T-E-R-I-O-R-A-T-I-N-G :)

Several years ago, the Oregon Legislature made Oregon Health Sciences University and Hospitals,
fiscally independent of the Legislature, putting them into competition with other health care providers.
So OHSU elected to become the sole health-care plan (insurer) to their own employees.
Reverberations of conflict of interest are now rumbling in the bowels of "Pill Hill".
.

Think of the precedent. If employer A is allowed to exempt certain things from being covered due to religious beliefs, where does that end?

Bill to allow employer to deny any preventative service

The bill failed, as well it should, but seriously...WTF is wrong with people? Offering coverage is not the same as forcing you to take the effing pills.

I literally had this arguement with an old friend on Facebook yesterday...he said, Obama wants to prevent us from having babies!!

ExCUSE me?

How would YOU go about reducing abortions and preventing unwanted pregnancies? How about we start with eduction and affordable contraception? And I'm not talking about the 5 month waiting list at the health department or braving the demonstrators screaming in your face at Planned Parenthood. I mean, my doctor checks me out, writes a prescription, I get it filled. Then, every month, I go to the pharmacy and pick it up.

Or, like in some places in Europe and in Mexico, buy the damn birth control over the counter without a prescription for pennies, or totally free with a prescription.

But no, that's anti-religion here in the land of the free, home of the brave.

Here, contraception is prescribed by a doctor, but is free of a prescription charge. I get my contraceptive implant free every three years, but pay just over £14 a month to get my anti-deoressants and acid reflux medication.

You can buy unprescribed "morning after" pills over the counter, after a consultation with a pharmacist (who asks questions about protection, chlamydia, AIDs etc) That's comparitively expensive though - £25 last I knew. It's free from sexual health clinics and in certain pharmacies, depending on region and age. Again, the same sexual health questions will be asked.
Said it before will say it again. America is so full of contradictions. We have a State religion, of which the Queen is Defender. We have far more freedom not to have a religion than you do.

You think I am a poser because I support the church's Right to not pay attention to Obama? Haaaaa.....

Oh, and no, the Church doesn't have to do that because DOMA is still being fought in the courts.

pos·er    [poh-zer]
noun
a question or problem that is puzzling or confusing.


And no, Merc, that's wrong. DOMA only applies to the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. not to institutions. In states where gay marriage is legal, groups operating in those states HAVE to legally acknowledge the marriage in that state. Does that infringe on their religious liberty? Does it infringe on Catholics' religious liberty that insurance benefits to spouses have to be given even if said spouse is a second or third spouse after divorce?