Mandatory Health Insurance part 3

[PhilsFan]

We Christians sure do love to play the victim card.

[MrsSpringsteen]

Some Christians like to play the victim card. And some prefer to see things in a more rational manner.

[ladyfreckles]

There is some merit in what they're saying, but it isn't that much merit. I can understand a doctor feeling uncomfortable with performing surgeries like, say, abortions or even sterilization. That is a doctor's personal choice. But some of the treatments that the Catholic church deems "immoral" are just... ugh. Some believe it's wrong to perform surgery on transgenders. Others believe that any surgery that might even result in temporary infertility is wrong. Some won't treat abortion-related health emergencies.

I'm sorry but it's not a hospital's job to sit there and judge whether or not a transgender deserves surgery. A hospital's job is to treat sick people, and if your morals somehow get in the way of that... then that is truly messed up.

[MrsSpringsteen]

(AP)NEW YORK — Roman Catholic dioceses, schools and other groups sued the Obama administration Monday in eight states and the District of Columbia over a federal mandate that most employers provide workers free birth control as part of their health insurance.

The federal lawsuits represent the largest push against the mandate since President Barack Obama announced the policy in January. Among those suing are the University of Notre Dame, the Archdioceses of Washington and New York, the Michigan Catholic Conference and the Catholic University of America.

"We have tried negotiation with the administration and legislation with the Congress, and we'll keep at it, but there's still no fix," said New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "Time is running out, and our valuable ministries and fundamental rights hang in the balance, so we have to resort to the courts now."

The Health and Human Services Department adopted the rule to improve health care for women. Last year, an advisory panel from the Institute of Medicine, which advises the federal government, recommended including birth control on the list of covered services, partly because it promotes maternal and child health by allowing women to space their pregnancies.

However, many faith leaders from across religious traditions protested, saying the mandate violates religious freedom. The original rule includes a religious exemption that allows houses of worship to opt-out, but keeps the requirement in place for religiously affiliated charities.

In response to the political furor, Obama offered to soften the rule so that insurers would pay for birth control instead of religious groups. However, the bishops and others have said that the accommodation doesn't go far enough to protect religious freedom.

Health and Human Services spokeswoman Erin Shields said Monday that the department does not comment on pending litigation. When Obama announced the accommodation in February, he said that no religious group will have to pay for the contraceptive services or provide the services directly.

Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John Jenkins, said in a statement that the school decided to sue "after much deliberation, discussion and efforts to find a solution acceptable to the various parties." The university argued that the mandate violates religious freedom by requiring many religiously affiliated hospitals, schools and charities to comply.

"We do not seek to impose our religious beliefs on others," Jenkins said. "We simply ask that the government not impose its values on the university when those values conflict with our religious teachings."

Other religious colleges and institutions have already filed federal suit over the mandate, but observers had been closely watching for Notre Dame's next step.

The university, among the best-known Catholic schools in the country, has indicated past willingness to work with Obama, despite their differences with him on abortion and other issues. Notre Dame came under unprecedented criticism from U.S. bishops and others in 2009 for inviting Obama, who supports abortion rights, as commencement speaker and presenting him with an honorary law degree.

The federal suits were filed Monday in New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Mississippi, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and the District of Columbia. At a news conference, Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik, whose diocese is among the plaintiffs, said the law firm Jones Day was handling the lawsuits pro bono nationally.

[INDY500]

Supreme Court ruling due by months end.

[Salome]

Originally Posted by MrsSpringsteen

"We have tried negotiation with the administration and legislation with the Congress, and we'll keep at it, but there's still no fix," said New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "Time is running out, and our valuable ministries and fundamental rights hang in the balance, so we have to resort to the courts now."

Originally Posted by MrsSpringsteen

"We do not seek to impose our religious beliefs on others," Jenkins said. "We simply ask that the government not impose its values on the university when those values conflict with our religious teachings."

they should get of their high horse,
actually someone should kick them off their high horse

it's not like anyone is going to make them hand out birth control at the front door
they are made to financially contribute to something they might not like, but eventually is beneficial (overall) for society

perhaps they should just think of it as a tax they pay and pray that God will somehow forgive all those naught birth control users

[INDY500]

Intrade - The US Supreme Court to rule individual mandate unconstitutional before midnight ET 31 Dec 2013

The US Supreme Court to rule individual mandate unconstitutional before midnight ET 31 Dec 2013
79.9% CHANCE
Last prediction was: $7.99 / share
Expiry date:
Today's Change: +$0.39(+5.1%)

[Canadiens1131]

Considering the how conservative the SCOTUS is right now (Citizens United, anyone?), I wouldn't be surprised to see the individual mandate struck down.

It was a shitty healthcare reform effort that was a hand-out to (SURPRISE!) private insurance companies instead of providing a public option, and a tactical error to try and get it done before the summer recess in Congress to leave the Republican misinformation machine time to rile up the locals at town halls.

[digitize]

There are still a very large number of people in this country who believe that death panels are a component of the Affordable Care Act

[INDY500]

The Independent Payment Advisory Board: PPACA's Anti-Constitutional and Authoritarian Super-Legislature | Diane Cohen and Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Policy Analysis

Heard of the Independent Payment Advisory Board, IPAD?

When the unelected government officials on this board submit a legislative proposal to Congress, it automatically becomes law: PPACA requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement it. Blocking an IPAB "proposal" requires at a minimum that the House and the Senate and the president agree on a substitute. The Board's edicts therefore can become law without congressional action, congressional approval, meaningful congressional oversight, or being subject to a presidential veto. Citizens will have no power to challenge IPAB's edicts in court.

Worse, PPACA forbids Congress from repealing IPAB outside of a seven-month window in the year 2017, and even then requires a three-fifths majority in both chambers. A heretofore unreported feature of PPACA dictates that if Congress misses that repeal window, PPACA prohibits Congress from ever altering an IPAB "proposal." By restricting lawmaking powers of future Congresses, PPACA thus attempts to amend the Constitution by statute.

In the name of "cost control" of course. Not very small r republican is it?

[maycocksean]

Originally Posted by Canadiens1131

Considering the how conservative the SCOTUS is right now (Citizens United, anyone?), I wouldn't be surprised to see the individual mandate struck down.

It was a shitty healthcare reform effort that was a hand-out to (SURPRISE!) private insurance companies instead of providing a public option, and a tactical error to try and get it done before the summer recess in Congress to leave the Republican misinformation machine time to rile up the locals at town halls.

Excellent summation.

[deep]

Chief Justice Roberts saves Affordable Health Care Act.

[anitram]

Scalia must have been getting too embarrassing for Roberts.

[Irvine511]

I assume we'll be hearing for Roberts' head on a platter soon. Conservatives are never wrong, they are just back stabbed by traitorous activist judges.

[trojanchick99]

Twitter is so very entertaining right now. Sarah Palin: Obama lies, Freedom Dies. I wonder what she tweets when Bono lies?

[U2Fanatic4ever]

Originally Posted by trojanchick99

Twitter is so very entertaining right now. Sarah Palin: Obama lies, Freedom Dies. :rofl: I wonder what she tweets when Bono lies?

i saw that.. haha..

[BEAL]

the spin i'm hearing right now is that this will be a huge loss for Obama because the mandate being considered a tax.

So those millions of people without insurance right now (poor, middle class) will now have to pay new taxes, thus it's a tax on the base that Obama is trying to win over.

Of course I have no idea how any of this is going to work going forward (and Obama stating the Mandate is NOT a tax back in 2009). I'm sure once the dust settles, there may be some interesting aspects, but I think there is more good news than bad from this.

[BoMac]

Some people are clueless.



Supreme Court Health Care Decision: Americans Angry About Obamacare Tweet About 'Moving To Canada'

[BVS]

Originally Posted by BoMac

Some people are clueless.



Supreme Court Health Care Decision: Americans Angry About Obamacare Tweet About 'Moving To Canada'

[U2Fanatic4ever]

Originally Posted by BoMac

Some people are clueless.



Supreme Court Health Care Decision: Americans Angry About Obamacare Tweet About 'Moving To Canada'