Associated Press: Obamacare Could Make Contraception “Free”
“Free” as in those getting the contraception won’t be paying for it directly. But nothing is free. We’ll still pay for it through higher taxes and higher premiums.
What’s interesting is that the Associated Press casts this debate as one being between anti-contraception conservatives and pro-contraception liberals. I think that’s a false dichotomy. I’m all for contraception (which I differentiate from abortion), but I’m against the government dictating how that contraception is paid for.
WASHINGTON – Fifty years after the pill, another birth control revolution may be on the horizon: free contraception for women in the U.S., thanks to the new health care law.
That could start a shift toward more reliable — and expensive — forms of birth control that are gaining acceptance in other developed countries.
But first, look for a fight over social mores.
A panel of experts advising the government meets in November to begin considering what kind of preventive care for women should be covered at no cost to the patient, as required under President Barack Obama’s overhaul.
This goes far beyond the debate over contraception. Consider that a panel of government “experts”, and not millions of free citizens making free decisions in a free economic environment, will be deciding how treatments like contraception are paid for.
That should scare the pants off of Americans. How you get your medical care – be it birth control pills or cancer treatments – shouldn’t involve the government. Because if the government decides that a certain type of care that might be very important to you or your family shouldn’t be covered any more it won’t be covered. And you’ll have little recourse.
But remember, the Democrats told us this wasn’t a government take over of health care.
Tags: contraception, government health care, obamacare
