Children. Duh.

Lineal Descendant Disorder, acute symptoms last 18 years.

I believe it to be a Discriminatory Practice!! There is little if any coverage for Male Sexual Issues. There should be a co-pay just like every other Medicine.

Have you met some people's children?

Condoms can prevent a myriad of diseases starting with AIDS. Where have you been?

Pregnancy and fertility are not categorized as sexual disorders- they are social disorders where people neither want nor parent the children they bring into the world- now if we could just require people to take it.....

They save us from people playing in the shallow end of the gene pool...

What makes you think that all health care is just about preventing or treating disease? It's about promoting health - including reproductive health.

Children are not a disease.

Breaking a perfecting working reproductive system so that it doesn't do what it was intended to do is not reproductive health.

Gimme, Gimme! I want it all free and for the rest of my life too! WAAHHHH.....WAAHHH, somebody else shouold just pay for my upkeep and ALL OF MY WANTS! WAH, WAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

America is frickin' Doomed just because of this mentality...........

Birth control is the best way to prevent child abuse, mothers on welfare, and a myriad of other social ills.

This will save our country and even the insurance companies much more than than supporting unwanted children.

Unwanted children are the saddest thing on our planet!

Pay a little for birth control or a lot for 18 or more years ... let me think ...

The disease is unwanted pregnancy...........that is often followed by abortions that turn off or even incite religious chantings in most people who ask questions as shallow as this one.

If any of you believe this is free I want some of what you've been smoking!

Every person that pays for the insurance will now be billed to provide this and unfortunately it won't do a thing to reduce unplanned/unwanted pregnancies amongst those that are the issue we have to deal with!

In some cases becoming pregnant may be a health risk to the mother or a potential child. For example if the mother is on medication which may cause deformities in a fetus,

Also some people just don't want to have children, I wonder if birth control covers (semi) permanent surgical solutions?

The disease known as social welfare and how much is spent by taxpayers to raise kids the parents cant afford.
It costs a few cents for a condom and like $50 for a morning after pill; I am sure I dont have to state that raising a child requires many times more than this.

My daughter, 17, went to the Dr last week to get her sports physical to play high school sports. She called from the office, upset that she couldn't get a physical exam without a parent there to give permission. She could go in and have a surgical procedure done (abortion) without my consent or knowledge, but cannot get a simple physical exam without my permission? What's wrong with this picture?

For some reason, reproductive issues have been given "more equal" treatment than any other health issues and I can't figure out why. A medical procedure is a medical procedure. A medication is a medication. Let's have some consistency instead of two sets of laws and rules.... One set dealing with women's reproductive issues and another that covers everything else.

We need birth control to be readily available to prevent unwanted pregnancies, which in turn helps women to stay healthy and stops children being born unwanted, neglected and abused and also stops abortions being used as birth control.. Every child should be wanted. Condoms prevent the spread of STD's. The savings from including birth control in insurance packages are enormous. You don't think they would even consider including them otherwise do you?

Just what disease does birth control prevent?

Treatment and/or prevention for: von Willebrand, vasculitis, Endometriosis, poly-cystic ovary syndrome, fibrocystic breast, ectopic pregnancy, irregular and severe menstrual cycles, among others.

The obvious (for the oblivious) is pregnancy. Too many pregnancies, too young of age, too old of age, etc. are all risk factors for women. That doesn't even address the social issue.

Children are not a disease.

Paul, having 2 children myself - I can most certainly say they ARE a disease - they're the leading cause of my baldness, my high blood pressure - my bad diet, and this damned ringing in my ear.....("Daddy....daddy...dad...dad...dad...")

clflan2-1

Where do you get your free healthcare?

Good God people!

NOTHING IS FREE!!!

What right does the government have to force companies to provide this product for free?? And you wonder why health insurance rates keep growing faster than inflation!

Spend small on birth control or big on unwanted children. Penny wise or pound foolish?

Uh...cancer. Look it up. Are you asking for your wife, daughter??

stopthespending-2291099

If it was left up to the insurance company. Nothing would be covered. Like that baby out west who was born with a heart problem. The insurance didn't want to cover him. Because they said it was a preexisting condition.

It's like the abortion debate: You conservatives don't like abortion, but you like the death penalty... I mean really? Throw 'em back until they're at the legal size limit?

Considering that everyone is supposed to have insurance according to the new health care law, then everyone will be paying for this, including the people using it. Most likely, women's coverage will be slightly more expensive because of it.

Sure enough, not everyone that should be taking BC will do it. "Accidents" happen. This will only be used by those that have some sense of personal responsibility. No program ever has 100% effectiveness.

But surely it will diminish the number of unwanted pregnancies if the pills are more accessible. You already paid for them in the insurance, why not take them. The long term benefit for society outweigh the cost in this case, if done correctly.

However, this will not be successful unless it is accompanied by education in the topic. And something realistic, not the abstinence only programs that work oh-so-well for the Palins.

To Joe B-

My husband had a vasectomy 20 years ago and the insurance paid it all, however, had I wanted to have my tubes tied, I would have had to pay the entire expense.

Men also can get drugs such as viagra on their insurance.

It's women who never had these coverages!

stopthespending, and Q22,

Seriously, calm down. We're talking about classifying preventive care as preventive care rather than the companies just charging for incredibly common medications for no other reason than because they can.

Paul: What disease does birth control prevent?

It prevents the disease of unwanted children, and the ramifications thereof.

My question is: why in hell is Viagra covered?! Viagra doesn't prevent disease, and in fact, may be a contributing factor to disease.

May as well make chemotherapy, high blood pressure medication, insulin, cholestorol medication, migraine meds, allergy meds, and every other known medication for free too because it's all preventative.

Here's the thing, it's not FREE! It's paid for by all of us. Why should anyone not have any financial responsibility for their own health?

Obama has spent two weeks talking about painful cuts and he's adding benefits? This guy has to go.

Birth control is one of the biggest issues of the 21st century; we have a huge group of persons on public assistance, that having children is just a way of making more money each month; we must do something to attempt to limit the amount of children a women on public assistance may bring forth, if not we are going to sc..w ourselves out of a Nation .

MNwriter: For one, I am calm. Calm enough to see that inch by inch our current President is dictating what we must do, pay for and support. What is covered by an insurance company should NOT be determined by the goverment, but by the choices you make in which insurance company and plan you choose for yourself. I believe everyone needs to take responsibility for themselves, their behavior and their lives. Obama making blanket choices like this one is just another example of how our freedom to make our own choices are being taken away.

You want to pay for everyone else's birthcontrol, I suggest you mail in your donation.

I think birth control should be mandatory until the age of 18. Same for males as soon as they have a male birth control. These kids are out of control and it's only getting worse as their parents were in the same situation about 20 years ago now.

Babies having babies. Its nonsense.

In these horrible economic times, it is absolutely IMPERATIVE for birth control to be free or low cost. How many families are already struggling? How many married couples, without children, are struggling? Free birth control is going to help those people out, immensely.

Joe,

Those things you listed aren't preventive. Chemotherapy, blood pressure medication, etc are treatments, not preventatives. Birth control helps millions of women avoid dozens of different medical conditions having to do with hormonal imbalance, etc.

stopthespending,

The free market argument on healthcare died a long time ago. Competition isn't lowering rates or raising quality, innovation isn't reducing costs or raising quality, and most consumers have minimal or no choices for alternate coverage, since anything but their employer-provided coverage is usually too expensive. In many parts of the country, consumers literally have only one or two providers for health care, and the differences are often minimal - almost no one has so many health insurance options that they can shop for plans that cover specific medications.

As for your completely unnecessary judgment of the President, we don't live in a society where we each get to individually decide what services are available to everyone else. Since you apparently didn't read the article, this rule changewas in accordance with recommendations from medical experts, not a random dictate of a politician.

You're free not to buy health insurance at all if you don't want to participate in an industry that is regulated due to the enormous impact it has on every facet of our society as a whole.

Only the GOP could be so cynical as to believe people will stop having sex. No matter what, tens and tens of millions of people will have sex. Unwanted pregancy, teenage pregnancy, AIDS, STD happen all the time, this is the proper move to make our society more healthy with less unwanted birth.

Is there a co-pay for Viagra? I take Coumadin to prevent blood clots with a $43.00 co-pay. Should Coumadin be free, it is a preventive measure?

I believe birth control is vital to prevent unwanted pregnancies and especially abortions. I would rather birth control be free, if it keeps women from having abortions.

fallout-1986007

So children is a disease? Please don't have any...

There is little if any coverage for Male Sexual Issues.

Are you suggesting that pregnancy is a female issue?

Viagra and Coumadin are not preventive care - Coumadin treats conditions that lead to increased risk of blood clots, Viagra mainly treats erectile dysfunction.

I never said I was all for aborting human babies. My point is if you're going to say you're against killing - BE AGAINST KILLING.

That said, I'm a pro-choice Catholic.

By law it should be legal, whether or not I find it reprehensible or wrong. And if you don't like abortion - Birth Control CERTAINLY will reduce the number of abortions performed.

Birth control prevents medical costs associated with child birth and medical care for the children who are not born as a result of birth control ...... presto, lower insurance costs for everyone!

Human over population is the driving reason for almost every problem the Human race faces today.

Today’s over population is already overtaxing all of the world’s resources.

As the world’s populations continue to grow so will Wars for resources.

The ultimate ending for over population will be the balancing of mankind’s overpopulation by dieses, starvation, and mankind killing them selves.

Take your pill, wear your condom.

Send many Pills and Condoms to all of Africa FREE, and anywhere else on the planet that can not feed its current population.

Attach aid to countries contingent upon proof of the use of the Pill and Condoms.

The movie Idiocracy is a comedy, but its message is true.

Make birth control “Cool”.

Now I am going to go way over the top…

If you want to have control over your reproductive system read on.

Once all males reach the age where they are no longer shooting blanks, say 15…

These males will go to a sperm collection bank and give three samples.

All the samples will be labeled correctly, and be for “Private Use Only”.

One of the three samples will be sent to a common Lab in California, one of the samples will be sent to a common Lab in New York, and the third will be given to the individual for storage by the male giving the samples.

Then a vasectomy will be provided to the male preformed at a local hospital by the chosen surgeon of the male donor, and 100% paid for by the state.( Here is where you scream all the political bla,bla,bla)

At this point the male can be given a test say three months later and if he is still shooting blanks he will receive a certificate of infertility. (Suitable for wall mounting in a frame)

Anything this male does as far as sex or not still is according to his own beliefs.

Now once the male has reached an age where he and his partner are emotionally and financially able to handle raising children the male can either have the vasectomy reversed, or go to one of the three banks, and retrieve one of his sperm samples.

This way the constant problem of forcing a women to be responsible enough to remember to take the pill will be elevated, and it would be much more healthy for women to not have to screw up their natural hormones to stop unwanted pregnancies.

This way every child making its way into this world would be wanted at least until they actually arrived.

Oh my gawd - pro choice is not pro abortion.

To make birth control free would REDUCE the demand for abortions. Duh. You're against birth control why?

Because you want the control. Admit it. Well, you can't have it.

Preventing an unwanted, unplanned pregnancy is a good thing. Anti-abortion people should be fully supportive of birth control if preventing pregnancy is there real goal.

I voted yes but I’m not naive enough to think this is free. The cost of birth prevention is not free; rather it will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums or higher costs for other procedures. Still, I think this is far less expensive in general to society than the burden of unexpected and many times, unwanted children.

I’m waiting for someone to argue that to be gender neutral, condoms should also be free.

If you do not like the fact that birth control - which is extremely cheap to begin with - is covered by insurance, please call your provider and let them know that.

BUT dont forget to tell them how pissed you are that they also cover VIAGRA which is infinitely more expensive...

lets just be fair about this.

after all, GOD created man and woman to have sex for having babies only.

Those old guys who cant get it up, dont need to get it up anymore...so sayeth JESUS AND GOD AND ALL HIS BELIEVERS.

amen.

Jessica,

You were making sense until that bizarre religious rant at the end. Was that intended as sarcasm? I mean, it's factually inaccurate in every possible way - I'm assuming it was sarcasm.

stopthespending, and Q22,

Seriously, calm down. We're talking about classifying preventive care as preventive care rather than the companies just charging for incredibly common medications for no other reason than because they can.

Seriously - most medications people take are preventative. What the hell do you think drugs like Lipitor are?? I don't mind theses medicines being covered - they should - but for FREE??? WTF?? What's wrong with treating them like any other medication?? Especially when the generic form is already free (hint: abstinence)

Wet Willy - condoms are free if you go to your local Planned Parenthood.

you can also get free birth control from planned parenthood too, if you are poor enough.

and poor people dont have insurance, so this isnt about poor people.

This is about middle class and upper class (and some working poor) people who can afford birth control.

I would be willing to bet that given 5 years, the insurance companies will be able to show that offering birth control for free resulted in fewer pregnancies and births...which will save the insurance company money overall.

Anyone think the Insurance companies will be honest about the savings they managed to get out of this?

I think this is wise. There are private companies that cover Viagra, so why not cover the other side of the equation? This helps women, rich and poor, be responsible for themselves. Now, men, that also means you have to be responsible too and ask questions. Get the condoms, wear the condoms and ask if your SO is on birth control if you don't want a baby.

Q22,

Lipitor is not preventive. You need some basic education on the realities of medicine. Thanks for your input, though. Most medications are designed to TREAT a medical condition - high blood pressure, pain from an injury, cholesterol, etc. Preventive medications - taken by people in order to stop a medical condition from even happening - are much less common, but are exactly what they seem to be. Preventive. Preventive care is generally covered 100% under most health insurance, and so preventive medications should be considered part of that.

Not treatments, preventive care. They're different things.

TANSTAAFL

I'm off of my meds because I can't afford the co-pays. Life sucks then you die; and if you can't afford the meds, then you might just die sooner. Why should BC be free?

@Homie, birth control is used by married couples, too -- if they don't want to have children, are waiting for the right time to start their family, or already have as many children as they feel they can love and financially support.

MNWriter, yeah it was sarcasm.

but the first part of that last sentence is truth.

old guys dont need to be getting it up anymore.

Can anyone honestly say they have met or know of any woman that has professed that her pregnancy was due to the fact she couldn't afford the "pill"? Not having access to, as that is a different topic all together.

No offense to anyone..... but everyone for this measure keeps claiming it helps prevent unwanted children. I have a better idea.... quit having sex if you don't want children.

gday,

It's not a better idea. Only a tiny percentage of the sex humans have has any intention of producing children - trying to define sexual behavior by childbearing is like trying to regulate traffic by writing laws to govern how ambulances drive. There's so few of them that it just isn't a realistic part of the overall issue.

Not only should it be free, but used to get some of the people off the welfare ranks.

they should be available just as condoms are available: at a price and without a prescription. They have health risks (like cigarettes) but are not addictive and therefore should not require a doctors visit just because they are a pill.

MNWriter - It all depends on how you define preventive. Coumedin is to thin the blood and PREVENT strokes. My husband's medication costs me about $600 per month (in-copays) to PREVENT his death.

Preventive medicine in the form of tests for early diagnosis of disease is cost effective to insurance plans, thus are covered under a lot of plans.

Birth Control to prevent pregnancy is not preventing or treating a disease. Free birth control has been available thru many social networks for years and has done little to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies or welfare births.

We need to remember that medical insurance is intended to protect the individual from unexpected necessary medical expenses. When I sell a policy I compare it to auto insurance. Do you buy a $0 deductible so that every tail light lens you crack is covered or do you buy a $1,000 deductible so a major accident or theft is covered with you retaining some of the liability. Medical insurance is the same, retain some of the liability to keep the premiums down. Co-Pays!

People have to be more responsible and if they are not responsible enough to go to the free clinic and get pills or condoms, they will not be responsible enough to take the pill, thus a waste of money.

Anyone that complains about the costs of handing out free birth control should take a look at what carrying a child to term or dealing with an unwanted pregnancy cost all of us.

And the PRO-LIFE crowd is just a bunch of hypocrites and closet misogynists attempting to impose their idea of morality on others. They don't want women having abortions, nor do they want people taking contraceptives so they don't get pregnant in the first place. If they were REALLY concerned with abortion you'd think they would embrace contraception. Evidently what they really have a problem with is SEX. Apparently they believe a woman should ONLY have sex if she plans on having a child. SO really this is more about some bitter persons idea of morality then abortion.

We also know the pro-life crowd could care less about the child after it's born and doesn't believe in health coverage for moms and kids unless they can afford it. And it figures that some of the biggest pro-life proponents also turn out to be dead beat dads.

bj,

This isn't an issue of some subjective definition - medical science has a specific definition of preventive care, and what you describe isn't it. A medication to stop strokes isn't preventive care - it's treating whatever condition might otherwise cause the strokes in the first place, like high blood pressure.

Birth control is not only for preventing pregnancy - millions of women use it to treat hormonal imbalances that result in all manner of conditions that affect their bodies, some of which are debilitating.

Your judgment of what medical insurance is "intended" for is also a matter of debate. The health care system in this country will only be effective when our money is primarily invested in keeping people healthy, not in just caring for them when they're not. That's a losing proposition.

Not everyone has access to free clinics, nor should women bear the unwarranted burden of having to go to a separate place to obtain necessary medication.

Perhaps you're correct. We want the spread of std's and venereal diseases stopped. We want our children safe from predators in the school who would subject our daughters to abortions without our permission. We want women to be ladies and not use their bodies to get what they want and we want our sons to have futures. But more than anything, if you want to have sex, you have to accept the responsibility for the consequences...you don't get to share them with me.

I think birth control should have a co-pay, just like the rest of us. Condoms are pretty cheap too. But once you've made a baby, that baby has a right to live. You decided to act on your baser instincts, or you had sex with your husband and you didn't use birth control. You should not have the option of deciding that you body is the only one that counts. Too little, too late.

We don't want taxpayer dollars to go for abortions, nor do we want taxpayer dollars paying for your birth control. Your body belongs to you, and so should your bills.

sprytling,

Health insurance is based on the concept of shared risk - that is, everyone pays the costs of everyone's care so that no one bears the sole burden of what might be catastrophic expenses. In such a system, any program which prevents medical conditions and raises the overall health of the pool of insured will reduce the overall costs to the system and therefore reduce (assuming the companies don't just pocket it) the overall price of the insurance.

Everyone that pays premiums or taxes benefits from anything that improves the overall health of society and/or reduces the occurrence of more expensive conditions.

MNWriter:

Were did you get your medical degree? I take Coumadin after I had an aortic valve replacement to PREVENT blood clots. What about PREVENT do you not understand? I am no doctor but I am a nurse and I do a lot of patient education. Prevention is a part of that education, WRITER!

So again, I will ask, if birth control is covered by insurance why not Coumadin? Or Aspirin? Anti depressants. Don't get me wrong, I do not want anyone to have an unwanted pregnancy because I am anti abortion. AND a liberal. Huh.........

This is SO long overdue.

Those bellyaching about the cost of contraception forget what the cost is a having a child that all the insureds will pay for (and this not evening cost of raising them.

Examples (and these are grossly oversimplified and since what insurance negotiates for and what is "list price" are grossly different-

Cost of a normal hospital delivery $5,000

Cost of neonatal ICU care for a 25 wk premie (gross estimation - 15 wks * 7 days/wk * 2,000/day =) $210,000

In-hospital maternal for pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure, low platelets on magnesium sulfate) or premature labor requiring bed rest for 3 weeks (gross estimation - 3 wks * 7 days/wk * 1,000/day =) $21,000

What many of us understand is that healthcare spending has been out of control for a long time. It is the result of failure of preventive and maintenance of chronic diseases, increasing use of expensive "high tech" (MRI, etc.) whether proven to be cost and/or clinically effective, the unbridled increase in totally unnecessary hospital/practice infrastructure (costly art, soaring atria) that provide nothing to improving care, but increases costs that is passed on, overuse of new on-patent drugs when a generic with a well established safety record will do as well or better at far less cost.

Lastly, those who are on insurance and or government funding already have your choices limited - "providers" who are "preferred" for as the lowest negotiated contract, pharmacy "formulary" lists that are also negotiated.

Birth control is a responsible action for those not wanting children and who are active sexually. As a conservative Christian I have no problems with these services / products being available.

As a guy with a few chronic health issues, I do wonder why the special treatment? Why do I have to pay a deductible and co-pays for actual chronic diseases, while this particular area is covered at no cost for all women?

Don't misunderstand, I believe in paying my way. And right now without health insurance, I pay 100% of my prescriptions and doctors visits out of pocket. Again, I have no problem paying.

What I do have a huge problem with is government choosing favorites.

Enough with the prejudice. No special deals for certain kinds of people, or ailments, or whatever - the government needs to do less, not more, as their selective "care" is screwing over many of us to help few of us avoid paying for damn near anything.

Take,

Still, you don't get what "preventive care" is as pertains to medical insurance. You can't just say "this prevents that and therefore is preventive care". That's not how it works. Preventive care is things like annual doctor visits, periodic testing, and medications like birth control that allow healthy people to avoid medical conditions they might otherwise develop.

Coumadin is not preventive care - it is part of the recovery and treatment protocol for many major surgeries. If you are a nurse, I would hope that you know how health insurance works enough to know that surgery - and the treatments and recovery thereafter - are not preventive care as pertains to insurance.

Also, birth control was already covered by most insurance, but since it is now classified correctly as preventive care and not treatment, it can be covered without copays. This will improve women's health overall by making birth control more accessible.

Paul,

Preventive care and treatment are apples and oranges. Preventive care is already covered by insurance (usually 100%). Medications for diseases and such are treatments, and covered differently.

The people who need to use birth control the most don't use it. The ignorant, drug addicts etc. Take a look at the people in this country who mulitply like rabbits and that will answer the question about who needs it.

Paul -

What I do have a huge problem with is government choosing favorites.

Enough with the prejudice. No special deals for certain kinds of people, or ailments, or whatever - the government needs to do less, not more, as their selective "care" is screwing over many of us to help few of us avoid paying for damn near anything.

I take it you would like to see the cost of healthcare go down, right?

So if you see where dollars are needlessly expended, this is pure financial pragmatism. If it works, then even your costs go down as you don't get a discount for anything like insurers, right? Private pays subsidize everyone else.

It's called being responsible...

MNWriter, your logic is flawed. Birth control doesn't prevent anything more medically pressing than blood pressure medication (prevents strokes), cholestorol meds (heart attacks), chemotherapy (prevents death).

Birth control is elective, and therefore not preventative.

I did decipher why Obama did this though....I take it he's losing his funding for planned parenthood (who has been supplying free birth control in the past)....so he's going to put that cost on all of us in a different way.

wow bluepanther novel idea...if people were only responsible, we wouldn't have obesity, heart disease, crime, pollution, etc....you are asking waaaayyyy too much of the average American

Why does anyone think this is birth control for free? The insurance companies only have to shift the co-pay to the premium. Not like they weren't going to raise the premiums anyway. This is a pointless debate. The insurance companies won't be doing anything out of pocket here.

Joe,

Incorrect. Blood pressure medication treats high blood pressure. Cholesterol medication treats high cholesterol. Chemotherapy treats cancer. Those are treatments, not preventatives.

"Birth control" medications actually prevent a wide variety of conditions in healthy people. Thus, preventive care, not treatment.

Once again, people, "preventive care" is not anything that prevents something. It's a specific category of medical care that involves keeping healthy people healthy and preventing illnesses or medical conditions, or diagnosing conditions early so as to prevent serious harm. It's not treatment. Medications like those you listed are treatments, not preventatives.

To your other point, President Obama doesn't fund Planned Parenthood - and even government funding is only a tiny portion of their funding - and they aren't losing the government funding anyway, because the Democrats haven't allowed the Republicans to strip women of health care for no reason as they have tried to do.

I'll ask again - how is breaking a perfectly working reproductive system somehow called "reproductive health"?

paul,

How is anything being "broken"? Birth control simply prevents either fertilization or implantation, depending on the type of birth control. Why shouldn't we be able to control when our own bodies produce children?

What is cheaper a few bucks now or 18 years of state and federal public spending on welfare to bring up an unwanted child. Throw in the ruined lives of the pregnant girl and women for their stupidity in getting pregnant in the first place, not getting through high school or college, the psychological effects on the child of not being wanted and you have hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars flying out the window for each unwanted pregnancy. And it is and was the woman's right to take the pill. So all you ultra conservatives, put you nose back in joint and turn it down and mind your own business. And yes I am a LIBERTARIAN. No church or political party thinks for me.

First, has nobody heard of other actual medical conditions treated by birth control? No man here has ever dated somebody who had severe (10+ days) monthly bleeding, or got PMS so bad that they borderline lost their mind? I have dated a few girls with these problems and their birth control pills made it manageable. Pregnancy prevention was secondary. Contrary to what everybody here seems to think, there are legitimate medical conditions for which birth control improves quality of life.

Second, I would be willing to bet that those costs being incurred by the insurance industries are being offset. That wouldn't get reported probably, but I would bet 3 morning after pills that those were part of the negotiations.

The costs will be minimal to the companies - birth control medications are incredibly cheap to produce. I'm sure they'll mark up the price increase to us, naturally, but more emphasis on preventive care is a good thing anyway.

aren't SEVEN BILLION HUMANS on the planet enough?

M-1884132 My cousin had cramps for several years until she got to the right gynecologist who did a complete ultrasound examination and found adhesions from the uterus and other parts of the reproductive tract to the surrounding organs. He did an in office microsurgery with a laser and severed the adhesions. End of cramps. Worth telling your friends about.

@Gday67. Sorry, I love having sex, so I'm not going to stop until I physically cannot and even then I would still probably try. However at 24 years old, I am mature enough to be able to accept the consequences. Even though I don't sleep around, people love to have sex and do it irresponsibly all of the time. Their free birth control is my insurance against immature, poorly prepared and possibly single parents from raising a generation of poorly raised children. Even under penalty of stoning or death you can still find people getting it on, it will never stop. Why do you think there are 7 billion people? it's because people have been banging since they first realized that it was awesome, and then they gave birth to another generation of people that loved sex just as much. It's the cycle of life man, give them a freaking BC pill so we can spare ourselves the headache.

Here is one more little tidbit. Would you believe this was banned? Maybe it was too effective. Maybe we need hordes of army ants spitting out new bodies to keep the wheels of that machine spinning. Seriously though, watch this because it is pretty funny and relevant.

@julio perez-3815764 No. Nobody cares how many people there are. Point being, there are 7 billion of us. People still plow. I will bet even you have. So.......nobody cares. They just want to get laid and paid.

And, it cut out the link before. Just look up the banned swedish condom ad on youtube. Hilarious, but effective on me at least.

M

If you truly think that no one cares how many people there are you are not rational. Overpopulation is the root cause of most of the major global problems.

@don97524 I hope I am correct in assuming you've had sex before. If so then despite obvious overpopulation, you cared more about either having a family or making your dingle feel good. Come on man, I have google so I know how of serious problem it is. Let me put it this way, in the many times the opportunity to bump arose I have not once had overpopulation concerns even cross my mind. I am too wrapped up in the irrational emotions of the animal drive to have sex. I also only graduated from puberty 4-6 years ago, so this probably has something to do with body processes and will probably change, though I hope not.

But clearly, if people cared more about overpopulation than getting it on we would have stopped way before 7 billion. People are already starving and suffering because of it, but they still have kids.

Please answer this for me because if you don't I will consider it a no. Have you ever just before you had sex sat down and thought to yourself "Maybe I shouldn't do this overpopulation really concerns me"? You can't tell me you do this every time you bone. I have never done this, and trust me I know it is a humongous problem. I was always careful because of STD's and the fact that I don't want kids.......yet. You are right, I am not rational and if you are going to tell me you are I think you are too irrational to see how irrational you are. Emotions and rationality seldom go together, and sex is very emotional. It's an animal instinct to survive by irrationally seeking out food, water, safety and mate(s). If you don't care about surviving, you won't survive. It's just the cycle of life, man.

Seriously though, anybody reading this please answer that question, because I pretty sure most people will say no.

Tyler-thanks, however there are still plenty of weeds that need plucking in this garden of knowledge. I will, truly, never understand what drives idiots too bicker over a plate of common sense. This idiocy and hypocrisy would never be uttered in a crowded room or in the presence of ones family or friends if actually present.

It's offending and what is wrong with the whole concept of the comments section. you should truly have too prove your educated enough to attend a session, or better yet, have levels of conversation that are equal to ones inherent intelligence. meaningful posting could be observed, but dumb asses would be excluded from participation.

P.S. Everybody knows googling something is the same as being there first hand, so it is credible. The same way adult entertainment is just like the real thing. To be clear, I am being sarcastic and as such, do not believe any of what I just wrote. Given the topic, this conversation is too way serious. Conversations that serious belong on forums about war, famine, Saudi Arabian anti-sex laws. Taxes too I guess, which was the where this started...........damnit.

@jeffery f I hope you are not talking about me, though I will not take offense to that. I will say this right now, I am an educated college graduate from one of New York's top SUNY colleges, graduated high school in the top ten percent, I regularly study on philosophy, physics, biology and I have an IQ of 140. That's all relative though so I am probably still just a dumbass, though an "educated" dumbass. And for the sake of giving perspective on my statements, I am a complete nihilist and have a worldview forever in the minority. Nihilism is a cancer on society so I don't try to spread it too much, it is just the way I am and was not an active choice.

So, in light of this I want to say something to you sir. Beware of the thin line between people who are uneducated dumb asses and people that just disagree with the way you think things should be. This is called Newsvine. Not Jeffery_F vine. You stopped short of listing peoples names, maybe because there are too many? I never call other people dumb asses, I will not allow myself narrow my views to my perspective alone.

Lastly, yes I tell my family. I think what I think because it what I have seen though my own lens of experience. However, I will never lose track of the fact that I am always a disconnected dumb ass. But, that is because I think we are forever disconnected from the completely neutral nature of reality and as such right and wrong exist only within the context of our own minds and existence.

Would you like a list of people who I drew upon to write what I just wrote, in order of time period. I warn you, it is long because I would have to start at Socrates, Machiavelli, Kant, Proudhoun, Nietzsche, Sartre, Saussure, Ginsburg, Kerouac and most recently Derrida. Wow, that long and thats just philosophy. Whos uneducated?? It's easy to call people dumb though your keyboard, don't lose yourself within yourself.

I got more if you want it dogg. LOTS MORE. Before you say others need plucking from the "garden of knowledge", try taking a look at where your roots are first.

Honestly, you should just delete your comment. Oh wait, you can't. In that case, could you tell people you are sorry for calling them ignorant dumb asses please. If you don't mind.

That or could a moderator just delete it for him, followed by mine if they want. This is probably done, unless Jeffery_f wants me to throw more weeds from the garden of knowledge at him. Round up son!

!

MNWriter - How is anything being "broken"? Birth control simply prevents either fertilization or implantation, depending on the type of birth control. Why shouldn't we be able to control when our own bodies produce children?

A perfectly working system is the goal of the medical community - endocrine, cardiac, pulmonary, lymphatic. We prescribe many meds and perform many procedures to restore these systems to correct working order.

However, we take a perfectly working reproductive system (that produces babies) and "break" it so it doesn't do it's intended function.

How is that "reproductive health"? It's reproductive non health. It certainly isn't preventive medicine.

M you wasted a lot of typing on a post that had nothing to do with you at all, please note that I prefaced it too the Newsvine moderator and it was solely my opinion of the obvious infighting taking place over absolutely nothing. But since you fired, I would suggest you pick up a book or two on false fallacy. I think it would help you tremendously in your tirades and illusions of grandeur.

In closing I'll give you a tidbit about myself. I dally in the Newsvine experience from time to time as away to gauge the pulse of American youth and of those that have a few miles clocked in life.

I sometimes find the posts to be redundant, but never without a veiled discourse of politics and religion. In this case you have those that take the position of a financial implication to the tax payer and national debt and others from a rather austere position of being a little closer too God than the rest and with a puritanical outlook.

As far as educations are concerned I think I have you trumped, I'm a PhD in Economics from an Ivy League and have done and do studies in consumer confidence and the inter workings of nationalizing currencies in a global economy. My job pertains too the following of consumers in America and the inroads of access too emerging markets.

But really M it wasn't about you at all and I actually agreed with your post that arrived while I was actually typing my original. Sorry

paul b-922206, as I said above, what about cases of correcting a real hormone dysfunction? Excessive PMS, excessive bleeding, crippling cramps and other things I as a man can never know the pain of. There are doctors that advise against using it for anything but those reasons, but will acquiesce to patient requests to not lose the patient.

It's like getting narcotics at the hospital. As long as you keep saying you are in pain, they will continue to give you more powerful stuff. Why? Because the number one complaint at hospitals, specifically ER's, is that "pain was not managed effectively. It is easier to just give them the pills, so long as it is within safety and reason, than to lose a customer or your job.

Lots of girls do not elect to take birth control because of side effects too. Stroke risk, weight gain, pimples, psychological side effects and other assorted long and short term effects. Usually it makes boobs bigger too, which I think is more an unpleasant side effect for women because of the possibility back problems. For the most part, the right chemical at the right dosage does not "appear" to have significant long/short term risks and is why it is medically accepted to prevent pregnancy. Some women should not carry either, psychologically speaking, because of postpartum depressions risks. Is that not preventative? You could just tell them to be celibate, but more often than not birth control may be more practical.

Sex and sex practices are mostly not legislated by laws and should not be. I'll be clear, I sex should not happen outside of the context of a long term relationship. A relationship that started with a period of abstinence that is followed by use safe sex practices as preventative measures, as opposed to pilling somebody up. A baby could happen, and you if you don't know if you can actually raise a child with your partner it could be a disaster for a child that had no choice in his/her irresponsible parents.

But there are real reasons to use birth control that fix the system, instead of breaking it.

Nothing wrong with children, as long as you can give them back to their parents.

Yeah, you have me trumped. My BFA doesn't hold a candle to a PhD. I don't know you, and I fully understood that while typing. I am objective of myself enough to admit that I hold beliefs that lead to illusions. To me, that is what faith is. To adhere strictly to an idea that you have no evidence for. At the expense of touching on religion, I do not think I chose to see Atheism but I am an Athiest, though this is not about god so I say nihilist now. Agnostics seem to be the most open minded, but I simply can't be that way. Before I was old enough be have the self realization to know it. So Illusions I definitely have, the whole thing is a big illusion in my mind. Thats why I bring it up, often, because the perspective you get from conversation is enlightening. We all seem to see different illusions. Grandeur I am not so sure about however. I see myself as little more than a piece of dust stuck on a huge, rock spinnig in an endless sea of nothing. My views, my opinions and whatever knowledge is, mean nothing at all. It is all in my head, and I try not to make the mistake of telling others I am right, but that is what I see in the world. Communication is an outlet for understanding, but like the words I am typing now, this is nothing but a dulled approximation of our actual ideas. I guess what I am trying to say, I am irrational, it seems like many things are, but I try my best to never lose sight of that limitation and get lost within the illusion. Close to 95% of the world thinks I am wrong, and all that tells me is that people who are built to not think that way do better. I couldn't be typing this right now if the reverse were true.

Here's the point though. I wasn't trying to get in a war on who is more educated, because I do not think knowledge means anything outside our own worlds. My point was that I am educated to somewhat of a reasonable level, sarcasm is hard to tell online too. Especially without the context of knowing each other, those words can only have vague and disconnected meanings attached to them. You sound like a smart dude, I suppose I should call you Dr (this wasn't sarcastic). But there are contexts were the knowledge we have acquired do not matter.

I give you respect for attaining such a high degree of education, I'm serious. Some people have more mental capability than others and it is a gift. You are fortunate you got to go to Ivy League Schools all the way to a PhD level. Most do not have the intelligence or means to do this. Because of my life experience, I took offense what appeared to be a broad belittling of people you know nothing about.

I will finish with this, I was surprised you were a doctor not because I thought you were uneducated. It sounds like you have a few gifts in life, I was surprised to hear that because it sounds like you used it as a weapon. Intelligence, while a perspective, is power. You more than most, should not use power as a weapon to express superiority.

P.S. I wish tone could come through on this. The name dropping was sarcastic too, I hate when people do that. "If you can't make it, then fak overexplaining e it, byit". Everybody knows that stuff anyways, whether they know it or not.

I will pick up that book on false fallacy too, as that does sound interesting. Can you give me a title?

M thanks for the reply, I will often insert a far reaching statement in an attempt to draw someone thats thinking into a conversation. In this case I will ask you why this particular subject has "Tickled your fancy" so to speak. To me it is an argument that can never achieve a Lexus of equilibrium and often individuals are posting with out having a point or a conclusion. Hence the reference to a false fallacy.

false fallacies- I'll give you one I used recently-

EG- Government is like business, so just as business must be sensitive primarily to the bottom line, so government must also.

Critiquing the above statement is the fact that the objectives of government and business are completely different, so in all likely hood they will have to meet different criteria.

false Fallacies are points we often use in writing to support our position and is generally one of the first thing they teach you in Rhetoric, Business Writing or advanced Law Contract classes is to avoid things like going off on tangents, grouping small numbers of results and drawing an empirical conclusion from them etc etc. But, really you could probably find numerous definitions and examples on fallacies instantly on the net or by just listening to speeches written by politicians or others trying to twist the outcome information with dialect that spins it into a deflection (Tangent) or in unsupported results that have no basis to real information. similar to what you said in your statement (Close to 95% of the world thinks I'm wrong) Now I wouldn't be reaching very far by saying you actually haven't tallied all available responses you've received since becoming a member of Newsvine with the resultant being near 95% disagreement with your positions or inversely nothing proves that 5% of the world agrees with you. Hope that helps you understand the fallacy principle and why it's needed so badly on the boards, but there are many examples to help guide you during lively and spirited debate. thats was what my 1st post was trying to illicit.

One more point M, you seem to be a pretty aware individual with a keen perspective of things that can and should be, Like you I'm an atheist, It upsets many members of the family and some friends who are constantly trying to help me see the light. I am generally non combative about the religious subject, never demonstrating much of my disdain vocally, however politics is an animal that drives me harder than any other subject and many have made the mistake of arguing the Republican position as it pertains to the Middle and working class of America. Lastly I did not do nine years of work at an Ivy League and if I left you with that impression I apologize. Like you and many others I acquired my BA at a State School in NJ, My MBA through a School in Philadelphia and then my PhDE work was done at an Ivy League and the grand total of my educational expenses was $210K ( I also received several Pell grants and scholarship money due to grades and my Veterans status and thats included in the total cost).

Bottom line is never stop working on your knowledge, No matter what happens it's the one thing the system can never take away from you. I can tell education is important to you, so reach for it.

Peace Out M!

more birth control = less abortions.

tea baggers should be giddy about this.

Duncan1.5,

You appear to have slept though HS biology class because a morning after pill for men would not be very effective at preventing pregnancy.

If social conservatives are serious about ending abortion then birth control should be free. That would not totally end abortion because even when BC is used properly it isn't 100% effective but it would drastically reduce the number of abortions.

THis is very good news and a good step foward for equal rights and for limiting the overpopulation that we current face.

So, lemme get this straight.

We've offered free condoms for decades at the Health Department, Planned Parenthood and community clinics and it hasn't stopped unwanted pregnancies.

Now we expect free birth control pills to do the trick?

Why?

What are the chances a 14 yo girl will go to the drugstore to get her free birth control pills? Who will explain to her how to start them, stop them? Who will explain what to do if she has a reaction to them? Who will be responsible if a woman has side effects like high blood pressure or elevated lipid levels. What if a woman develops a blood clot? Will the drug company be responsible because we are giving their "drug" away for free? Or will the government be responsible?

Next. What are the chances that a woman, especially a young girl, will still require her "partner" to use a condom to prevent STD's, HIV, HPV and other unprotected sex diseases?

I think this needs to be thought out a little more thoroughly?

Furthermore.

Where in the Constitution does it state that the government can require a private corporation to give their product away for free? I just read it over again and can't find that Article or Amendment anywhere.

What's next? Free oil for your car? I mean we have to drive our cars right? Free milk, eggs and a loaf of bread every week? I mean we have to eat, right? Free week of electricity? I mean we have to get on our computers to post comments on the Newsvine, right?

markmich- It's not FREE, it's covered in your premium and is considered a preventive measure such as a flu shots. All the government did is say you the individual are not required to pay a CoPay to secure the Pill. Big Difference my friend.

Please don't argue that other medications are preventative as well, there not, Those medications are considered treatments not preventions. However if you can come up with an anti high bloob pressure preventative that eliminated the condition of hypertension then it to would be considered a preventive and you could get it without a CoPay.

I can't be anymore clear than that.

As for your argument about a 14 year old having access to information related to her prescription, that would all be covered by the prescribing physician or the PharmD pharmacist at her drug store. Her access now will not be limited to her ability to gain access to the eg: $35.00 CoPay required by most insurer's.

Hence, it would be rather easy to say that not only would she have access to the medication, but an ability to secure them without a monetary income.

Lastly , as for condoms, they are only affective if the male uses them properly and and least one of the two parties engaging in intercourse supply one that hasn't been in his wallet for the last six months thus falling apart upon penetration. All the while trying to overcome the argument that it doesn't feel as good. No in this case you've missed all the points markmich.

Jessica 1.57

I would still vote for dispensing birth control devices for free but it most likely would be but an exercise in futility. As you pointed out, birth control devices, i.e.: condoms, the pill, are readily available and free from planned parenthood and others sources to the poor, but despite this, it is the poor that has the most children. Perhaps you’re correct and this is just another costly “feel good” program.

Wet Willy, it's not just the poor, the poor however are the only ones you hear about. Look at the Palin's for Christ sake. Sarah now has a grandchild out of wedlock and a shotgun wedding was just performed for another daughter with a new bun in the oven. Those kids had every avenue to get protection and didn't, I think it was the families way of torpedoing Sarah's political ambitions personally. The couldn't even stomach the thought of that idiot making it into the oval office.

We've offered free condoms for decades at the Health Department, Planned Parenthood and community clinics and it hasn't stopped unwanted pregnancies

And you know this as fact because? [you were there]

How many were not born because of this use, again you know as fact?

Heck yeah! And I think they should have free vending machines in every ghetto in the country, and at the Mexican border...

You forgot about installing one in Palin's house didn't ya?

"U.S. health insurance companies must offer women free birth control and other preventive health care services under Obama administration rules released on Monday, a historic decision supported by family planning groups and opposed by conservative groups."

Anyone wonder about why the Obama administration would change the rules? Anyone? Here's a thought, to make owning your own health insurance more expensive. So far our rates have gone up 40-50% because the Obama administration forced the carriers to up the "kids" coverage to 26 and eliminate any existing conditions policies. So by adding on birth control, breast pumps, etc. etc. they are just adding incremental costs to the private insurance industry so that their nationalized health care system becomes comperable in cost to private insurances, thus making more businesses give in to the program.

Let's try to add it up- Birth control is maybe $35/month/woman, let's say that there are about 150,000,000 women in the US with 1/2 of them in the baby making stage of life. That little perk just cost us $31.5 billion/year. Now let's say that 1 in 10 gets pregnant and a breast pump costs $75(they go up into the $200s), that's another $1.125 billion/year (because you know that those won't be reused). So, by just a little more regulation we've just added about $33 billion to the cost of private insurance. Since we've been talking about fiscal responsibility lately, that's a cool $330 billion over ten years.

Those freebies aren't so free. Am I saying that I want unintended pregnancies, no. Let's just say that I frequently see irresponsible behavior while "using" birth control (IE oops missed a dose or two, unprotected sex, risky behavior, the day after pill needed, etc.) Just because you hand it out doesn't mean that it's going to solve any problems.

JoeNY- Your post is dripping with false fallacy and your numbers come from no where other than your ass. When you argue points without any pertinent or accurate information you just look silly. There is nothing for you too gain with such an absolutely inept argument. If you want to spout numbers do the research, if you don't do the work and put in the effort you'll never be taken seriously.

Your certainly not the only one that goes off on tangents making things up along the way. Most of us don't take them seriously either.

I thought that was at 4:20pm?

Hell yea it needs to be free!! Have you seen some of the people that have procreated lately? God help us!

It's about time to charge men and women separately for services. Women just ratchet up the bills with more and more preventative and maintenance services that have no comparison among men. If women are strong and independent, they should be able to pay for their own services.

Careful and judicious birth control might have prevented the Tea Party from being born.

First of all: Brilliant post by Duncan Doughnut. "Morning after pill for men"

Then there are the mental gymnastics of people torn between - keep government out of my life and - regulate a woman's life to the hilt.

Vincent- so you think men have nothing to do with babies being born? Just because women have to deal with the majority of contraceptives, doesn't mean that they're the only ones affected by their use.

Vicent Denali this has nothing to do with man and women, it has to do with unwanted children and us paying for them. Not to mention having to watch on the news everyday that another mother killed a child she probably never wanted to begin with. This is an investment we make so that we dont have to pay for all the children needs in the future. If you think birth prevention is the woman's problem you have some serious issues. Join some sexist group and go protest some place else

or you, HankE.

Vincent - "Women just ratchet up the bills with more and more preventative and maintenance services that have no comparison among men."

it is hard to compare the service of a rolls royce (women) to that of a kia (men)...i agree.

maybe you're better suited to being gay? what with how cheap your medical costs would be and all...you and some dude would be quite content, dont you think?

"it is hard to compare the service of a rolls royce (women) to that of a kia (men)"

It's quite easy: Kias costs less to service. Kia owners should pay the cost of Kia services.

I don't see why the strong, independent ladies wanting social equality can't pay for their huge lists of sex-specific health service needs.

Jessica ... have some man hating issues and lesbian tendency's? You don't have to thank a man for all that you have, for your home, your car, your computer and phone, for your liberties and freedoms, for your birth. You don't have to accept the fact that all great inventions, societies, governments and traditions are from men. You don't even have to agree that you were born because of a man. But, you do have to agree that women are wayyy more maintenance than men where preventative care at all cost is concerned as if we live in a world of unlimited resources with no consequences to bear on future generations from your selfishness.

I wonder if this was included in the Obamacare cost projections or if this is just one of many add-ons and in the shadow of the debt ceiling crisis. Probably not, so we pass legislation based on certain cost projections, which were terrible to begin with, and then just add on even more garbage to it. Similarly, we make a debt ceiling deal based on cutting spending but we're not going to cut spending, maybe cut spending on existing items (doubtful) but then we're just going to keep adding on new spending. Washington is broken in every way, shape and form from the right, left, top, bottom, every direction you can think of.

Birth control is not a necessity, people got along without it just fine before it existed, they've gotten along just fine paying for it and they'll get along just fine continuing to pay for it. There's nothing ideological about my position, it's just logical that you can't complain about how expensive health coverage is and then mandate that more services are included for a lower price, that's nonsensical!

Vincent- it's not just for women who can already afford birth control, it's for all of the women who can't. And by the way, birth control is used to get rid of other ailments as well. Such as ovarian cysts which can be very painful.

I don't think the daily pill is that cheap. It's like a $100 copay bimonthly for my wife. That could be a bit pricey for cash-strapped people currently.

I'm all for it, except for the morning-after pill. I'm anti-abortion, so I recognize the fact that preventative birth control greatly reduces unwanted pregnancies (thus abortions), but the morning-after pill is an aborticide, so I have to say no to that.

In my humble opinion, of course.

a historic decision supported by family planning groups and opposed by conservative groups.

seriously i just dont understand why people vote for repubs u want corporations making money on the backs of others misfortune and kids having unwanted babies and abortions which is very prevalent today as at always will be.

ii is things like this i vote democrat the right wing would have never let something well over due such as this become reality.

The morning after pill is not the abortion pill. The morning after pill is just a higher dose of the regular birth control pill, and does not work on an existing pregnancy. The morning after pill stops ovulation. The abortion pill is a different pill used to terminate a pregnancy.

I think we should educate ourselves before blabing about what this pill does and this pill doesn't do.

Also birthcontrol pills cost pennies to produce...they cost YOU lots of $$$ because big pharma and your insurance company are raking in the cash.

Birth control pills are a lot less expensive than raising a child, which is known to cost about $200,000

Aren't SEVEN BILLION HUMANS on the planet enough?

What is cheaper a few bucks now or 18 years of state and federal public spending on welfare to bring up an unwanted child. Throw in the ruined lives of the pregnant girl and women for their stupidity in getting pregnant in the first place, not getting through high school or college, the psychological effects on the child of not being wanted and you have hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars flying out the window for each unwanted pregnancy. And it is and was the woman's right to take the pill. So all you ultra conservatives, put you nose back in joint and turn it down and mind your own business. And yes I am a LIBERTARIAN. No church or political party thinks for me.

THANK YOU

Can anyone honestly say they have met or know of any woman that has professed that her pregnancy was due to the fact she couldn't afford the "pill"?

On the comment about the "morning after pill for men" isn't that kinda like closing the gate on the corral after the horses are gone? I mean the only thing we can do as men the next morning is run like hell and hope you didn't give her your real name or phone number...

doingxnothing:

The morning after pill is not the abortion pill. The morning after pill is just a higher dose of the regular birth control pill, and does not work on an existing pregnancy. The morning after pill stops ovulation. The abortion pill is a different pill used to terminate a pregnancy.

That's not exactly what I said. I said it was an aborticide. Although, technically, so is the regular birth control pill but to a far less affect.

Because it is a stronger dose of Levonorgestrel, it more greatly affects the ability for a fertilized egg to implant itself on the endometrium, thus the fertilized egg is discharged. This is one of among three different affects that the morning after pill produces. The three affects are all the same as the regular birth control pill except to a greater extent, including the one that would make it an aborticide.

The crux of the abortion vs. anti-abortion argument is that anti-abortion people see the fertilized egg as the beginning of a new human life. If the fertilized egg is discharged, it's considered a death.

I know it's a weird line in the sand for me to draw in order to support regular birth control pills yet not the morning after pill. Technically, they're both the same. Their usage and situation is what makes them different. I tend to stay out of the argument and let others decide because I just don't think life gives out easy scenarios. I have a weird position and am walking a strange tight-rope, so don't mind me... :)

OK, so they are going to pay for birth control with no co-pay. My question is does this include condoms. There is no mention of this in the article. From the article, it appears that this new rule applies only to female birth control. The women's lib camp has been spouting for years how birth control is not just the woman's responsibility, it is the man's as well. I agree with that sentiment. The man should be provided with condoms with no copay to prevent unwanted pregnancies as well as for protection against STDs. The man should be allowed to get condoms to avoid being trapped into an unwanted child by a woman telling him she is using protection when she is not or from contracting an STD. Unless this law covers condoms as well it should be stricken down by the courts as being discriminatory.

I could not agree with u more. BUT it's still a man's world and they are still trying to dictate what we do with our bodies even as they are blue-pilling themselves into nirvanna.

Duncan............and what would they do with these without people like you to give them to use as party balloons?

Those are for the guys, Duncan.

Have no problem with insurers paying for BC pills but no co-pay? I take several pills that help "prevent" me from having a heart attack but pay a healthy co-pay (about $80 per month) to get them. Why shouldn't BC pills be treated just like any other medication. Sorry, don't get it.

Duncan - clearly an appropriate name - ?? send eligible females?? You obviously hit the wrong keystrokes - that should be send all eligible males .... Age old problem - men do the quick spray - women pay.

Did you read the article? Insurance already pays for birth control pills. What this does is make everyone who has insurance pay higher premiums so we buy the pills for them. Wake up!

Barb: Viagra is NOT FREE! If it is part of the formulary of the insurance company, you can buy it for the cost of a general prescription. The same should be true of the birth control. So you pay $5 or $10 for it as a generic. To just say that all birth control is now free is going to be the straw that breaks this particular camel's back. Thought healthcare was expensive before? You ain't seen nothing yet.

stopthespending,

Get a grip. If laying in a hospital bed for twelve hours and having a bag of salt water strapped to your arm costs thousands of dollars, then cheaper birth control pills are a pretty infinitesimal part of the cost problem.

Barb wrote "Yes it's about time, if insurance can pay for "viagra" type drugs, they can pay for BCPills. "

There need to be some sex-specific health care services for men. It's clear that women are jealous of Viagra despite health insurance paying annual gyno exams for which there are no equivalents for men.

Otherwise, it is men that pay for the bulk of health insurance by paying the same rate that women do while consuming fewer services. I think the answer is to separate health insurance by sex and charge each sex appropriately.

We do not have universal healthcare. Of course women should have to pay a copay or do the smart thing and simply go to a family planning center where they have been passing them out for free for about 30 years now or longer.

mikela,

Many women do not have access to family planning centers, since in many areas such centers are harassed or profoundly limited by conservative laws. Also, forcing women to travel inordinate distances just to get preventive care that everyone else gets automatically from their own doctor is discriminatory.

Yes Barb, it is time to adress WELFARE=Money for more children.

@Vincent:

Do you really think it costs more to insure women than men? What about prostrate exams and other "male" physicals? There are plenty of diseases, I'm sure, that more men statistically have.

If we follow down your thought process, each individual would pay for only the diseases they get, which would lead to the disintegration of insurance. We pay car insurance and home-owner's insurance to prepare for risk, even thought they are technically "bad investments" to those who never have damage to their home or car.

MNwriter,

The majority of people have no problem with passing out birth control. Those family planning centers are usually the ones who also have abortions doctors. That is the reason why they are harassed. Birth control can be gotten straight from their doctor. Don't think we need a family planning center to accomplish that. The problem is out of all the other diseases that affect mankind, pregnancy is one of those most preventable. And it doesn't have to cost anything. It's called not having had sex. It works 100% of the time. Stop thinking that it is on the same terms as someone who has high blood pressure.

Unhappy,

Since you didn't bother to read the post I was responding to, it was the other person that said that we shouldn't need this since women can all just go to family planning centers (which they can't). Also, most family planning centers do not provide abortion services, as a matter of fact - there are plenty of places in this country where family planning is constantly under fire from government and the community.

Pregnancy prevention is not the only issue here - why do you unnecessarily equate birth control and sex with pregnancy? Pregnancy is a tiny part of sexuality in this world - only a TINY percentage of the sex humans have has anything to do with pregnancy or children at all, and birth control is used for many, many other purposes besides just pregnancy prevention, especially the hormone regulating pills women take as birth control.

100% is incorrect - women get pregnant without having sex all the time.

Last, whatever your personal judgments on sex, people have sex for many, many other reasons, and there's nothing wrong with that. You equating sex to pregnancy so that you can make a moral judgment is your own personal problem, not society's.

Vincent "It's clear that women are jealous of Viagra despite health insurance paying annual gyno exams for which there are no equivalents for men."

you do realize that women need those annual gyno exams to make sure they did not get cervical cancer from men's penises...right?

its why lesbians dont have to get annual exams as often.

so, perhaps now you understand you're playing some role in these "costs" I hope.

danangel: I have Aetna insurance. Let me assure you, my 15 year old daughter's birth control pills are NOT free. I pay $65.00 per month for them. Insurance doesn't pay one thin dime on them.

My niece, who is a pharmacist, says that a certain amount of Viagra, etc... IS covered a month by insurance. It's a shame that insurance will pay for a baby, if my daughter gets pregnant, but not the BCP's needed to prevent it. There's something wrong with that.

gtotogo,

These pills that prevent you from having heart attacks...are they TREATING high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. that would then cause a heart attack? If so, these pills are first and foremost taken as a TREATMENT of an existing condition - their prevention of a heart attack is just a very beneficial "bonus" after the fact. BC pills are not "treating" anything, they are by definition created to PREVENT pregnancy.

volcom wrote " What about prostrate exams and other "male" physicals? "

Sure, let's compare breast cancer to prostate cancer? Despite men and women dying from them at roughly the same rate, which receives more funding and more public attention?

"If we follow down your thought process,"

Men should some health services given their financial contribution. Just read the comments about Viagra. Women don't want ANY male-specific treatments while piling on more services for women.

There are so many that are unable to afford *any* health insurance because there are so many maintainance procedures covered that the price is too high.

We do not have universal healthcare. Of course women should have to pay a copay or do the smart thing and simply go to a family planning center where they have been passing them out for free for about 30 years now or longer.

Where does the "family planning centers" get the money?

Why would anyone want their children at 15 to have sex. They aren't even responsible enough to drive, but it is encouraged with birth control. If a person isn't responsible enough to have a child, they shouldn't be engaged in sex. You can't even get a driver's license generally until 16 and then their are usually restrictions in getting it. Calling birth control preventative treatment and not having to pay just paves the way for more irresponsible sexual acts (trying to prevent pregnancy doesn't mean you are responsible) and the spreading of disease. Birth Control is not 100% effective.

What world are you living in? Kids are having sex in middle school. Of course I would like my daughter not to have sex, but statistics bear out that most teens have had some form of sex by the time they leave high school. I live in a conservative southern state that taught abstinence education as its sex ed curriculum. My state has a HUGE teen pregnancy problem. It's people like you who bury their heads in the sand that perpetuate the teen sex problem. I don't think my daughter's having sex, but if she MIGHT be then she's covered. Much better to be proactive than reactive.

gtotogo, Please don't take this the wrong way but if you stop taking your pills and die as a result, there is no cost to taxpayers, your passing will not add to the deficit. The only cost will be to you family emotionally and maybe financially.

If families living at or below the poverty line have to choose between buying bread and milk or contraceptives, I am sure they will go with the bread and milk. The result is that we are all left with the financial responsibility for millions of children that would not have been born had their parents had a choice or the means to prevent it. Ever wonder why only poor people seem to have a truck load of kids? This is a good thing, I love children but I don't see the benefit to parents or children when they are not wanted from birth by parents who really cannot afford them. It breaks my heart whenever I hear of yet an other story of some child being killed by some animal. I would rather them to never have been born than to have a short miserable painful life.

Female Vet- Exactly! My grandmother refused to have any sort of a 'sex talk' with my mother when she was a teen, wouldn't even answer any questions. Therefore, my mother believed the rumor that you couldn't get pregnant the first time. 9 months later, there I was. My sisters (twins) are a result of my mother not being informed that antibiotics negate taking a birth control pill.

So, my mother gave us all the 'sex talk' when we hit our teens, and took us to get on birth control as soon as we started dating. We all ended up waiting until marriage to have kids, in our 20's or 30's.

Most teens will have sex, no matter what precautions you take. It's much better to make sure they're fully informed and have prevention easily available. I'm just hoping they get the pill for men on the market before my boys hit their teen years...

Yes, sidney wants everything free!!! Everything should be given him free!! Who's paying for it sidenye? Probably me.

Or maybe birth control wasn't considered as part of preventive care as it always should have been simply because of the right-wing obsession with controlling sex and women. If sidney is getting birth control under this rule, he or she is getting it from the insurance policy he or she is paying for, not you.

So you want it free too?

What free? The insurance companies are just going to raise premiums to cover it. Nothing is free.

I think we need to go one step further. We should make illiteracy a felony and citizenship contingent on passing an examination at 18. Those who don't pass should be stripped of their rights and subject to a lifetime sentence in a national slave labor force. This would solve our cheap labor/entitlement problem in one stroke. Companies would come back from China to make use of all these cheap rat people we have to offer, and we can save money taking care of them in bulk instead of this expensive and fractured entitlement system.

Obviously, these rats would have any children they manage to have taken away from them. Having a child as one of these filthy rat people is a first class ticket to a firing squad.

Eric

You're a metaphor for 99% of the republican party! You would vote to create these said labor forces, and then find yourself squarely placed in the middle of one!

Just like the rest of the numbskull reich wing DA's. You support legislation that compromises just about everything that our constitution affords value to in this country, and then when the results come to fruition you blame everyone else! Unfortunately an all too common occurrence thats places the middle class under a mountain of crap and is one of the reasons we're ALL in the position we're in today!

I think those that vote or support a specific type of legislation should have a permanent record of it affixed to them. Then when it blows up they cant turn around and lie there way out of it or resort to the hypocrisy thats given the republican party the staying power it enjoys today!

Is your sarcasm/hyperbole scanner broken today sidneyhop? Have you never read A Modest Proposal or pretty much any societal commentary by Dickens?

It isn't like I was going way too far in order to show the extreme a "kid license" could be taken to....

You can't license people to do what is a biological perogative (and another inalienable right really) without striiping them of all their rights. The only way to do that would be the extreme of stripping of citizenship and enslavement.

HERE FREE BIRTH CONTROL FOR WOMEN

keep your pantis on

BIRTH CONTROL FOR MEN

early pull out

thats not to hard to do is it?

and its free

keith biodrowski

Your an idiot Keith Biodrowski

Keith,

You are part of the problem, assuming that men's birth control method should be pulling out. How is that possible if women 'keep your panties on'? Hypocritical misogyny. Either we all, men and women, have access to birth control, or we all stay celibate. The latter is much less likely than the former. And as a married college student, I sometimes have trouble finding the $100 a month my birth control costs.

I'd like to see more male-specific services covered. How about adding a mandatory DNA paternity test to the suite of a dozen post-natal blood tests?

Oh Vincent, you MRA troll. I know you're jealous that women get more attention in terms of reproductive rights, but that's because women are the only ones who can get pregnant. Get a vasectomy and stop bitching about those "evil wimmins takin' away teh menz rights"

"I know you're jealous that women get more attention in terms of reproductive rights"

Men are speaking up for this financial inequality. Men and women pay the same health insurance rates but women consume more services. If women were paying more, you can bet women would be complaining and suing.

Vincent ... the one I love the most is the discriminatory practice of Social Security. Both men and women pay into it all their working lives. And, both are given the same age until retirement before benefits kick in, age 65. We personally receive benefits while we are alive (and then the surviving spouse). The life expectancy for white females is 80.5 yrs, white males are 75.3 years. Therefore, a female will receive 30% more social security (15 yrs) than a man (10 yrs) after retirement. In any other type of insurance, there is always a difference of rates between sexes and ages, based on risk factors, etc. In something as important as social security, there is not. There is talk of moving the retirement age to 67yrs old, a further discriminatory practice against men. Either the rate paid in should be different, or men should be allowed to retire earlier than women to receive the same benefit. This is a terribly unfair practice and men just allow it to happen..... If this were a women's issue, you can bet you would have everyone up in arms shouting for their rights to be heard and anyone that speaks out against it would be labelled sexist.

How about teaching, and practicing abstinence? Why choose abortion when you could just say, "NO," to sexual intercourse? It reduces the probability of STD's, and pregnancy is one fell swoop. Best part is, it costs not one thin dime.

As for those on welfare, drug test, drug test, drug test. Quit supporting addicts who spit babies out like a puppy mill.

Yes, just saying NO really does work very well, I am sure that until just a two years ago (give or take a few months), there was no sex except to make babies.

Ask your grandmother about the girls that would disappear for about 40 weeks then return with some story of being away taking care of a sick relative.

By the way, what if you are a married poor couple, are you saying that they should not be allowed to have sex until they can afford a child? Really?

Get real

Welfare already has limits for numbers of children depending on the program. As for limiting children, nobody's ever found a moral way to legislatively limit childbearing. Good luck though.

Many states already have a benefit cap and limit the number of years you get benefits. That's why some try to get their kids on SSI (Federal program).

There is a limit silly. Read up on the Welfare Reform act signed by Clinton. Welfare recipients get "0" benefits for every child after number 2.

They should lose the benefits provided by child 2 when number 3 pops out; all benefits when a 4th one comes.

Hey Bob - You know we're paying people EVER so much to have babies: All of $950 per month for a family of 4. That includes foodstamps (which makes up around $650 of that).

Yes, a family of 4 can live high on the hog with all of $300 of cash assistance for everything they need aside from food. Yes sir! They must be driving Caddillacs with that much money! I know they're also living in the high rent district of town too!

And you're right! They're mostly illegals anyway, so let's just abort them all! Really! It would really help reduce the already non-existant Anchor Baby population! Maybe forced sterilization? I mean, at least in Germany they got the trains to run on time when they did that!

Bob - you likely as not have never needed assistance. Having needed SCHIP and Foodstamps myself at one point - let me tell you: You're full of @!$%#. Just try living on that little money for 30 days. Try paying all of your bills. The Electricity, groceries, WATER... not to mention clothing...

Now before you go all "They should get a job" on me - consider that they get a minimum wage job. All of $7.25/hr. That will get you around $950 after taxes, and before Gas, lunch, etc. - And here's the kicker: You get a reduction in your benefits because you are making money. AND you lose any health insurance you might be getting...

So sure...people are REALLY getting paid to have babies....

If you keep on having children, you won't continue to get more and more money. HOWEVER, you can get more and more food stamps, housing assistance, free healthcare, etc etc.

Birth control should be available without any political, religious, or social stigmas attached. It is a relatively cheap way to prevent unwanted pregnancies that can lead to maternal endangerment, child abuse/child hunger, and the resulting psychological/physical problems caused by abuse/hunger, children born addicted to crack, etc., time and resources wasted in law enforcement to track down deadbeat dads. And, let's not forget preventing as many children as possible for hearing "I wish you were never born!"

Ebeneezer Goode: Do you really think illegals will start taking birth control in order to curb their population? You know they need those anchor babies in order to stay in this country. We will still be paying for them no matter what. Do you really think the taxpayer can afford this too?

Eberneezer, really $650/month for foodstamps? You might want to check your facts. The average nationwide in 2010 was $289.61/month per household on Foodstamps (or SNAP as it is more correctly known)

Source: http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/19SNAPavg$HH.htm

And the average household represents approx 2.2 people as the program provides for some 40.3M people making up some 18.6M households.

bobm, Ebeneezer

Your plan ensures that children, who share no blame for the family into which they were born, we be even more disadvantaged. I am much more concerned about those children than I am about your wallet.

Ebeneezer Goode

I want to say thank you for the comment about being on welfare. I was on there when I was pregnant with my daughter because I was too sick to work. The money that they give you is basically pennies and they put you through so much to get the pennies. I'm off of it now but it was definitely a learning experience. I never want to be back on it.

So for all who believe you all are really doing us a favor, trust me, you're not. It was like I was working at a below minimum wage job. I got $450 per month and $360 in food stamps. Add that up. It's $810 a month. That's the amount someone working would make in a week, not a month. Imagine trying to pay your bills with that. It's nearly impossible.

This is what is wrong with society. This money is not meant to live on it is to help out until you get back on your feet. No one said you should be able to live for the rest of your life off of these funds. And I don't know where you live that $800 is a weekly wage. I do the payroll at my work and some of the people here are lucky to clear that in 2 weeks of working. Remember to an ordinary worker $810 clear is about $1100.00 gross. If you are single working person and have no tax deductions you are right you are in a hurting position but these people make due because they are proud and they have to.

bobm

That was $800 per MONTH, not per week. Now go back and re-trench and decide whether what you had to say was worth saying.

Yes I agree. I am sick and tired of paying under achieving losers to reproduce. This is long overdue. FINALLY we are heading into the future, and not BACKWARDS like all of these religious anit-choice terrorists would want!

Hairy

When you categorize people as "underachieving losers" you have exited from an adult conversation. Blanket judgements of people are at the heart of bigotry.

Don - I'm a liberal who thinks that we need to give MORE to the poor not LESS. Especially kids (i think 365 day school years with FREE meals and tuition through college).

Voter in LA - I pulled the number based on a single person, multiplied by 4. I couldn't grab good numbers on whole family - since they vary by state

Really, you think these people are going to be taking birth control.....

Nelly, really? You think these people DON'T want to take it? Have you ever BEEN destitute and trying to raise a child? If you want to end the cycle of poverty you need to give people the tools to END that cycle: Education, Healthcare, Food... And birth control goes a long way toward that.

I know, I know - let's teach Abstinance. It worked for Bristol Palin after all! (And that's not a dig - she's an educated girl, who STILL got in trouble. Maybe if she had the tools....)...

And the next thing we need: Free Condoms. That will help to stem the epidemic of AIDS.,

Really, you think these people are going to be taking birth control.....

You act like everyone on welfare wants to be one welfare, and while I'm sure there are some that abuse the system...

For every person that abuses the system if we could prevent two from entering the system in the first place...but I guess we should just assume that abstinence education works right? I mean, that's worked so well thus far.

/sarcastic grin

You act like everyone on welfare wants to be one welfare, and while I'm sure there are some that abuse the system...

Some? Look again.

ebookout - there are a lot fewer than you think! Right? Just like the "rampant" voter fraud problem in this country: like 1 vote per 4 million.

Ebeneezer, the people who are destitute and need birth control the most are not and will not be getting it from my insurance provider. The government offers these services through medicaid and medicare. There is also clinics in poor area's that get government money for such things. And as for the taking these pills, well, that depends on if they can follow instructions. I think that welfare recipiants should be put in depoprovera if they want to continue to receive thier benefits. And for you out there saying that it infringes on their reproductive rights, well, once they can get off the dole then and raise their children without my tax dollar, then they can stop taking the shot. Simple enough. Also, with the shot, they won't have to remember to take the pill.

Bonnie- I agree with the shot. If they show up on time for their shot, they get the next 3 months of whatever assistance they're on. They can't forget it, lose it, or undo it in any way. When they're ready to go it on their own, the shot will wear off within a year, if not sooner.

Ebeneezer Goode

Bristol Palin had access to birth control. I am sure that her family insurance would paid for part of it and there would have been a co-pay. She could have gone to the doctor.

But then again she states that she was "raped" while being drunk. So she would not have planned the event.

Are you proposing that at 13 we put all girls on Birth Control......

Why not? It's already used to help regulate periods in general (I had family who were on it for reasons other than birth control - hormone therapy, specifically).

That aside - I'm not saying we SHOULD - but it should be available. And if we're not willing to do that, then we need to be willing to support them without complaint regarding Abortion and/or childcare and prenatal care.

Barb P-389280 wrote "some insurance companies pay for "viagra" type drugs. "

Every woman consumes tons of drugs and regular examinations for her reproductive organs. What's wrong with a service for men? Men pay the same health insurance rate as women yet consumer fewer services.

What insurance company didn't pay for hormone therapy for menopausal women?

Vincent: Pelvic cancer can kill you. Breast cancer can kill you. Ovarian cancer can kill you. Not being able to get a hard-on will not (even though you think it might!). THAT is the difference in the care that females get. And BTW, men do get special care that women don't! I mean, haven't you ever gotten your balls squeezed by the doc to check for testicular cancer? What about the finger to check for colon cancer? Yeah... women don't get that treatment! So unfair! LMAO.

Barb: While I am in total agreement with your first sentence, and the third, you slipped some prejudice into the middle there. Please expand on what you mean by stupid people. If we restrict free birth control to only those that "reproduce indiscriminately and neglect, abuse, murder their offspring" then there will be a lot of loving poor people without access to one tool to improve their lives and those of others. But education is still the best answer to help reduce the number of babies on public welfare. First thing to let them know is that free birth control has been available at most public health departments for a very long time. The Feds are just catching up with the program.

Again, "stupid" people aren't going to take the pill in the first place.

Kimblitt wrote "Vincent: Pelvic cancer can kill you. Breast cancer can kill you. Ovarian cancer can kill you. Not being able to get a hard-on will not (even though you think it might!). "

Women received hormone replacement therapy. Breast reconstruction after breast cancer is also covered. Paying for your own birth control won't kill you, either.

Given that men consume fewer services than women, it's important for health insurance companies to cover a few male-specific treatments. Otherwise, just reduce the amount men pay.

Women like you just taunt men for issues that are important to men. I certainly don't make light of female-specific health treatment, but I think it's important for women to pay for the extra services they want. Nothing is for free.

Vincent, "What insurance company didn't pay for hormone therapy for menopausal women?" Ask ANY man married to a menopausal woman if hormone therapy is wasted money. I'm betting you will get a resounding HE(( NO! Birth control can stop an 18 year headache.

Yay! BC pills are free! Wait, no... someone has to pay. (Premiums increasing?) Again, (Far) lefties thinking that "someone" will pay for all of these entitlements. Your yearly physical guys and gals, is not free. Your labs are not free. The are always paid for by someone. How much was your insurance premium and co-pay?? Something being free and you getting your money's worth out of your insurance premiums are two very different things. Also, my insurance (that I pay for with money I earn from working at a job that I studied hard in school to get) covers an annual physical for both my wife and me, although a lot of men CHOOSE (including me, sadly) to not get an annual exam. The money has to come from somewhere, unfortunately Barry and friends tend to defenestrate personal responsibility to cater to the small minority that thinks the world owes them something.

I've heard the argument, well if we pay for preventative care then it saves us money from having to pay for complications, etc. Why are we paying for ANYTHING, where is the incentive to work hard if everyone gets the same thing? The only exception to this should be children. If you're under 18, medical expenses should be 100% covered by the USG, because you have no choice / power over whatever situation you're in.... but the day you turn 18... unless you're a full-time student, you are on your own.

Also, not all conservatives are anti-abortion. I'm pro-abortion, I'd perform them for free in my garage if someone would show me how. Oh wait, someone would probably still need to pay for my shop vac and garbage bags. Actually no, here is another typically non-conservative opinion--- I am 100% pro stem cells of any kind/shape form. More stem cells, more abortions! Let's cure some disease! Seriously though, I'm not advocating abortion as a form of birth control, but the conservative phobia about stem cells baffles me.

Keep socializing medicine more and more, then our health care system will end up like our education system. Zero incentive for people to excel, innovate and compete to be the best when there is no hope of any type of reward. When no matter what you do, your compensation is fixed on a chart, why try and differentiate yourself and be the best? In a world with finite resources, people will always compete for them. And for you tree huggers that think this isn't right, why do you sit outside an Apple store waiting to be the first to get your iPhone 6?

By the way Kim.... The squeezing is mainly to check for a hernia, the finger is for the prostate...

Clflan2-1: Yes, It's good your mom had it ...too bad she was too stupid to use it properly.

Good one there Eb, did you think of that all by yourself?

You will pay for your hate in the end...The right wing is anti-god and pro hate

No CLF - you mom told me to pass that on to you...

It's about time. Thank you, President Obama.

Really , So if you get something for free you love Obama? I know which line you are standing in.

You are thanking Obama for what? Putting another nail in the coffin of our financial downfall? Was this little tidbit (free birth control mandated) in the cost estimate he gave us all when forcing Obamacare on the nation? Bet not. What else is going to be added by his mandate? How in the world does he get the power to mandate that private companies HAVE to give free services and/or products?

Responible people use birth control. Stop smoking those cigarettes, downing the alcohol, buying the newest game system, newest phone and BUY BIRTH CONTROL!

Great answer!

"The Affordable Care Act helps stop health problems before they start," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "These historic guidelines are based on science and existing literature and will help ensure women get the preventive health benefits they need."

It just amazes me that Conservatives would be against this measure. Ultimately, it will save money. It makes absolutely no sense to me as to why they would oppose it.

So health insurance should also refuse to cover any health conditions caused by smoking, drinking, overeating, driving, any physical activity like sports that can cause injury...?

So health insurance should also refuse to cover any health conditions caused by smoking, drinking, overeating, driving, any physical activity like sports that can cause injury...?

Gak! I thought we were talking co pays!

Yes, we could be healthier but there is a minor difference between hopping in bed without protection and smoking a cigarette. One produces a child... a human life. The other merely shortens your own.

Regardless, co pay? No reason why not in either case.

Why should there be a copay for this preventive service where most other preventive care is covered 100%?

Most other preventive care is not covered at 100%. I have worked in the group insurance industry for 40 years and can tell you that only Certain tests (as recommended by the AMA) are covered at 100% under SOME plans.

I work for an insurance company now and am under their plan. I pay a $30 copay for a mammogram, for a well woman exam, for my husband's colonoscopy, etc. They are not free! A few tests are mandatory under certain State insurance laws depending on where you live. A few are federally legislate.d, If you are self insured you do not have to follow insurance laws.

We add to our risk when we get in a car, however if we are injured we are covered, but we still have deductibles, co-insurance and co-pays. Same with smoking, drinking, etc.

bj,

Most preventive care - as specifically defined - is covered under most plans, for obvious reasons. Preventing expensive conditions in the first place saves money to everybody, including the insurance companies.

I certainly agree that many tests that should be covered as preventive care aren't - but now one more thing that is preventive care is covered, and that's good news.

MNWriter

So health insurance should also refuse to cover any health conditions caused by smoking, drinking, overeating, driving, any physical activity like sports that can cause injury...?

At this years signup there was a notice from Kaiser Insurance that smokers would now be paying an additional 100$ per month in order to help keep down the premiums of the nonsmokers.

In order to not be classified as a smoker, you would have had to have quit more than a year prior and have had medical records to support the claim and you would also be charged the extra 100$ even if you didn't smoke as long as there was a smoker in the house even if the smoker did not smoke in the house.

So yes, insurances should cover smokers as they pay far more in premiums than nonsmokers even if they have no health problems.

Do you think dating and cohabitation costs should be shared equally?

Do you think dating and cohabitation costs should be shared equally?

No!

My point was that the survey question makes it sound like people are suddenly getting something for free, when it will just increase everyone's insurance cost. Consumers of birth control services get a deal at the expense of everyone else. Also, cost is no longer an issue on making a choice on method since it is all the same price (free).

Remember that lie about being able to keep your current insurance?

Health insurance subscription costs have skyrocketed so much that a large % of Americans are able to afford any at all. The purpose of insurance is to distribute costs over time and a population, not get stuff for free.

Why stop there? Why not send them to the gas chamber?

Good idea but totally politically incorrect. Not sure, but this just might be unconstitutional, too.

You really think these types of people are intelligent enough or want to take BC.

REALLY....

Giving the welfare moms pills won't work because they *want* children and the money stream that comes with them. The injection and IUD are what should be covered for welfare moms.

Oh yes another god loving racist...

I wish the right wing in America would pack up and go to holy land and wait for Jesus to comeback for them..

They'll be in for a very nasty surprise DVJason... They are anything but Christians.

DVJ you forget, the USA IS the holy land. The garden of Eden is in Minnesota, and Jesus HAS returned in the form of Glen Beck. I seen him riding a dinosaur just the other day!

DVJ, your bleeding heart kills us. Who pays for this? I bet I know which line you're standing in too.

Bleeding Heart ? Thank You !!! AT least I have a heart unlike yourself and the rest of the loony tunes. Lets see bleeding hearts brought you....The end of slavery, equal right for women, medicare , social security, and freedom of speech. Yes skiddy the Founding Fathers were bleeding hearts all be it they were wrong about a few things. Guess who was also a bleeding heart??? JESUS the biggest bleeding heart liberal ever!! Just so you know you righties who tried to kill social security, medicare,medicade and food stamps are all headed for hell.So when you guys end up down there you should pack a speedo when Jesus comes back. You guys have failed him and yourselves.

A.t. whoot whoot,dino's the only thing that could transport Glum Peckerhead and his ego(equal brainwave activities)

DVJ, you're an idiot. I feel bad for those that need help just as much as the next guy; however, those that want everything given to them free for whatever reason (mainly because they feel entitled) is what I have a problem with. So spare me your liberal rhetoric. Go find another "cause" to pursue.

Since the christo-taliban doesn't like it, I figure it must be a good idea.

Hey bevus and butt head....Really??? Lets stay on topic!!!!!

They are on topic. It is exactly that group that would oppose this.

wrong- most republicans are FOR BC

Thanks doc. Your right! :O)

Hey doc, these idiots are the best reason for it.

Killing an unborn child because of inconvenience is wrong no matter what you choose to believe or not believe in.

But if you're Casey Anthony, it's just a step over the line to get rid of an inconvienience. How long will it be before killing a 3 year old will be legal if it can be proven to interfere with your partying ways?

doctorsteph

wrong- most republicans are FOR BC

you missed one part of that - they are for BC - when it comes to Liberals (every non-born Liberal is a victory for the right wing fanatics). Otherwise they demand that thier God gets between government and the people.

I am Christian and clearly, many of the right wing worship a different God than the one that created Christianity. My God says that we are not to judge or force others to follow him. We are to work with others and show them the proper way. This is very unlike the god that many right wing Christians seem to worship - where they clearly believe that their god requires them to force others to follow his ways and demands that they be judgemental and demonize all who do not follow his ways properly while they utilize government to enforce his rules.

Sorry - I am both Christian and Republican- we do not want to force anyone to DO anything. In fact, we are just tired of folks doing whatever they want to do, then asking taxpayers to foot the bill. Repubs do not want any inequality in the use of BC- they want everyone to have all the BC they want and need. Glad to pay for prevention of an unplanned and/or unwanted children. I would like to see everyone on assistance be required to take BC and go to classes to increase their earning potential. We believe in anticipation and prevention.

Again, just where do you see the savings? The people who should be getting free birth control won't be getting from my insurance carrier. The people with insurance can get it fairly cheap to begin with. The savings that you are touting are only to be realized if you can get them to remember to take the pill at the correct time each day. Being Catholic doesn't have anything to do with this.

As a firm believer in reality, I am assured that there's no such thing as free. Insurers will just increase cost to the insured (aka those who pay for healthcare) via increased premiums or increased out of pocket expenses.

No such thing as a free lunch. We should all know better by now.

A study done a couple years back showed that despite it's availability, a significant proportion of unplanned pregnancies occurred in women who were actually on birth control who just didn't take it.

Why do I get the sense that another study in say, 5-10 years, will show that this mandate had little or no impact on unplanned pregnancy or the possible economic consequences thereof?

Amen oy-vay...just like doing away with the pre-existing conditions and allowing children to be on their parents' policies up until 26. Those things alone have driven my insurance premiums up this year to more than take over the "raise" that I received. My company self-insures and flat out TOLD us the increases were due to Obama"care".

just another excuse to raise rates. rates were going up 100's of % way before the new healthcare law and it's not even all in effect yet! amazing so many want health care companies to be able to deny coverage to people because they have a "preexisting condition" through NO FAULT of their own and do so many of the other horrible things they do everyday!

Dude,

There are women out there who have had access to birth control but continually have welfare babies. Has been that way for quite some time now.

The only thing Obamacare will change is the cost of healthcare upwards and the accessibility of doctors and medical tests downwards. And, if Obamacare is supposed to be great, why are the President, the DC politicians, and a lot of other people exempt from having to have it. It is just a scam perpetrated on the American people by a self-proclaimed well-meaning president.

And what about people like me and my husband, Ashamed? I am currently unemployed and in school, my husband works. If I get pregnant, the money that our insurance company will have to pay out just for my pregnancy and delivery alone would be enough to cover 25 years worth of birth control for at least 6 or 7 people, due to my conditions. What monies my child would be using would be enough to cover 1 woman for 25 years of birth control. I would be in the high risk category, if I were to become pregnant, and if we were to have a child, that child would be a big burden to our insurance.

I carry two genetic disorders, one effects my immune system and has already almost killed me, and the other effects my kidneys, were I develop stones. A change of diet has only effected the frequency, but I have been hospitalized for them 7 times. My husband's family is full of bi-polar and schizophrenia. How much money in medical care would ONE child use up, if we have it? How about 2 or 3 kids? Now how much is it going to cost to cover me with BC until I am no longer fertile?