'Common-sense solution' on contraception

[babylonsister]

'Common-sense solution' on contraception
By Steve Benen
-
Fri Feb 10, 2012 11:40 AM EST


Word leaked early this morning that the White House was poised to unveil a "compromise" on contraception coverage, and on a conference call at 10:30, two senior administration officials sketched out what they described as a "common-sense solution."

The new policy effectively finds a work-around to address the concerns raised by Catholic Bishops: instead of having religiously-affiliated employers cover contraception as part of their insurance plans, the Obama administration will have the insurance companies themselves cover the costs themselves. One official explained:

"All women will still have access to free preventive care that includes contraceptive services. The insurance company will be required to reach out directly and offer her contraceptive coverage free of charge."

It's a safe bet the Bishops won't be satisfied, but it's a pretty straightforward fix: religiously-affiliated employers that don't want to pay for contraception coverage as part of their benefits packages won't have to, but these employees will still get the coverage because the White House will instruct insurers to pick up the costs.

An official on the call described access to this preventive care as the "core principle" that the White House considers "inviolate." The new announcement, the official added, leaves this principle "unchanged."

"All women will still have access to preventive care, and that includes contraceptive services, no matter where they work," the official said. It will be the same "guaranteed" benefit for these employees as in "any other workplace."

The comparison that will be referenced a lot today are the parallels between this and the Hawaii policy, and one of the senior administration officials stressed that while the policies are similar, they're not identical -- the state law offers a separate rider with a fee, while the new Obama administration policy does not.

more...

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/10/10373291-common-sense-solution-on-contraception

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. This sounds reasonable

If it has the effect of fragmenting the opposition, then it will have done the job nicely.

[monmouth]

2. Excellent. Everyone is happy,right?..Right?....LOL..n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Support from PP and the Catholic Health Association does look good

And:

Catholic Charities USA also spoke favorably of Obama’s decision: “Catholic Charities USA welcomes the Administration’s attempt to meet the concerns of the religious community and we look forward to reviewing the final language,” the group said. “We are hopeful that this is a step in the right direction and are committed to continuing our work to ensure that our religious institutions will continue to be granted the freedom to remain faithful to our beliefs, while also being committed to providing access to quality healthcare for our 70,000 employees and their families across the country.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/dionne-obama-contraception-compromise-women-white-house-does-the-right-thing/2012/02/10/gIQAcCWK4Q_blog.html

If the ones still objecting are just the bishops, then it's ended up a win for Obama - women get the contraceptive coverage, albeit having to fill out some more forms for it (but not pay extra), while the opponents are the infamous Catholic bishops who say things like "clerical rape is not a big problem" or "it's better for a pregnant woman to die than to have a life-saving abortion". They're a set of cranky old men with attitudes from the 17th century, and there's not much political problem in them being on the other side.