Birth Control Without Co-Pays

For the “duh” file”:

An independent panel of doctors and health experts recommended Tuesday that health plans cover a broad range of contraceptives for women without co-pays, setting the stage for another debate over the impact of the new health overhaul.

The law that President Obama signed last year requires new health plans to cover many preventive health services without co-pays or deductibles for patients, a key provision of the new law that experts believe will encourage more Americans to get recommended immunizations, cancer screenings and other services.

But the law directed the Department of Health and Human Services to seek input from clinicians and other authorities about which additional services should be covered for women.

That prompted the report Tuesday from the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences.

Health insurance coverage that pays for preventative health services without co-pays or deductibles. Who ever heard of such a thing?  Oops, I am forgetting something. The emphasis is mine:

The Family Research Council decried the recommendations for including emergency contraception (or the "morning after pill"). The group also points out there are no conscience protections for health care providers in insurance plan networks who object to prescribing such drugs.

"If HHS includes these mandates, the conscience rights of millions of Americans will be violated, including issuers of plans, providers who contract with such plans, and Americans who will pay for the cost of these services," Monahan said in a statement. "HHS should focus on items and services that prevent actual diseases, and not include controversial services just to placate the abortion industry."

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is also opposed to covering contraception as preventive care. Both the Conference and FRC have pressured HHS on the issue.

Because after all, millions and millions of women will be relieved to see this happen, simply because the “abortion industry” will be placated. Maybe just the opposite, actually. And controversy: very, very, very bad. Can't deal with it in post-intellectual, 21st century America.  Am curious to know if there is a working definition of "actual disease," though.

And as for the “conscience rights of million of Americans” – if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.