dyn99
Okay, I’m not defending Kootch here, but there is another perspective to share that’s worth considering:
Conservatives (in the true sense of the word – not the GW Republican sense that perverted the party) would argue that it’s not the government’s job to get involved in any of these types of issues – it should be up to the individual/organization to make the choices that are best for themselves.
That means staying out of abortion laws/requirements (with the exception of truly criminal acts like partial birth abortion when the baby is viable) and contraception. Both should be choices made between an individual and their doctor.
However, that also means that it’s not the government’s role to tell a religious organization that they have to cover a certain type of contraception when they’re the ones footing the bill for that insurance policy. That should be up to the organization, especially if it violates the religion’s belief system.
And in all fairness, people forget that medical insurance is “insurance”. Your car “insurance” doesn’t cover oil changes, nor should it. Nor does it cover tune-ups. It is supposed to be for major, unanticipated expenses.
For “medical insurance”, our country would be much better off if everyone had true “insurance” to cover significant medical events, diseases, and expensive medications. But routine visits to your doctor or inexpensive medications like birth control would be up to the individual to pay for.
And non-profits would certainly fill the role of ensuring that birth control was made available for free or almost nothing for individuals that truly couldn’t afford the monthly cost. Some people wouldn’t utilize resources like this and would still get pregnant, but the government can’t force individuals to be responsible. People have to want to themselves.
That would dramatically drive down the cost of care, while ensuring that everybody had access to good care when they needed it.
And it wouldn’t even need to be mandated – you could alter tax policy to ensure that people were economically inclined to make a decision in their own best interest.
It would be quite amazing to see what a market-based system could do to quality and access to care, if politicians ever gave it a chance.
Moral of the story: I don’t want Obama or anyone else telling me what I can or can’t do with my health. I’m all for improving options, but I’m never for forcing a government “improvement” upon those that don’t want it.