Abortion Is New Front in Health Care Battle

Wall Street Journal:

Most versions of the Democratic health plan would create subsidies for lower-income people to buy private health insurance. If that insurance includes coverage for abortion, as many existing private plans do, it effectively means federal taxpayers are subsidizing abortion, critics of the legislation argue.

Read the whole story: Wall Street Journal

Comments

[CarbonCreditSeller]

The biggest difference in abortion and end-of-life decisions is that in the end-of-life decision the effected person gets to be a part of the dialogue.

[tmo7734]

Dragging abortion into the healthcare debate is a lame (but effective) tactic and diversion of the right wing leadership. Unfortunately, it works because right wing followers are never keen on detail and, therefore, are destined to be lead like sheep.

[xraygrrl]

Hypothetical question: If I have an abortion tomorrow, how exactly does that effect you personally? (aside from your delicate sensibilities, I mean). It would have a great effect on me personally, therefore it is my decision to make. I don't think other people should be able to oppress me with their ideologies. I'm not trying to force my way of thinking on other people.

[CarbonCreditSeller]

If you decide not to have the abortion and deliver the baby, then decide you did not want the baby and toss it in the trash, it does not effect me at all.

[HabesSoulProvider]

[ 17Now therefore,(R) kiII every male among the little ones, and kiII every woman who has known man by lying with him. 18But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him(S) keep alive for yourselves.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2031:1-20;&version=ESV;

[HabesSoulProvider]

Numbers 31:17

[xraygrrl]

I've often wondered why the ancients were so obsessed with virgins. Did they feel threatened by experienced women who are always better lovers?

[CRUMBOWSKI]

But..I thought...the whole "Argument" that the Repugs and the Psycho-Pig Men Town Hall Squealers have AGAINST this is..

"You will have a Government Bureaucrat BETWEEN You and YOUR Doctor!"

Hmmmm..so.­.now..they­..WANT the Bureaucrat between YOU and YOUR Doctor?..But..

I mean it just NEVER ends..the 'Arguments" put forth by the Right Wing...are­..INCREDIB­LE in their OPENLY Visible..not even TRYING to hide em...DOUBLE STANDARDS...

Whether its the 'Free Market we Want..but Also DON'T want.."

Or now this..INSA­NE..frankl­y POINTLESS...'point' to whit.."A Bureaucrat between you and your doctor"...that you already have..If you have Insurance...I mean..its..CRAZY..

Perhaps this is the REPUG Version of..'TRANS­PARENCY"..­.as in utterly TRANSPARENT "Arguments"

There is even ONE MORE..that IF this 'Bureaucrat between you and your Doctor" was SOMEHOW.."Worse" than the one you ALREADY have..in Private Insurance.­..then..wo­uldn't that..be..an INDUCEMENT to go to PRIVATE insurance.­..remember Repugs.."The FREE MARKET"??? Isn't that the WHOLE DEAL? That IF you Don't Like what you HAVe..you can go get somehting ELSE????

The Repugs are..THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS..with this one...just...SO Bought And Paid For..that they are essentiall­y..HYSTERI­CAL...doin­g ANYHTING no matter HOW obvious to give their Corporate Masters what they have PAID FOR!

I believe CORRUPTION charges should be filed against Max aucus and OTHERS..it is THAT OBVIOUS...

[blueken]

Anything to distract from what should be the central point. We can't afford to continue to let the drug and insurance companies devour our economy, and that my friends is exactly what they have been doing for the last 40 years. I don't see how a conservative can not see that. What is really radical is the cost of health care rising at 6.9% per year (3 times inflation). What is really dangerous is health care eating 17% of the Gross National Product of our country. What is scarey is over 700,000 Americans going bankrupt due to health problems, 80% of those Americans were insured when they got ill. As we spend more and more treasure on health care doctors, nurses and hospitals are being asked to work for less. Hospitals are closing all over the country. Think about it, while the top 10 or 15 health insurance CEOs recieved over 700 million dollars in compensation, did a hospital near you close?

[xraygrrl]

Anti-abortion supporters have a deep rooted , puritanical desire to punish people for having sex. When times are tough, there are a lot of people who can't afford any other pleasure in life than sex. Planned parenthood and availability to contraceptives is very important in our modern society.

[bzb]

Exactly but this is why I despise conservatives on this issue:

McCain Votes YES On Gag Rules Which Deny Full Reproductive Health Information To Women

[AndyWright68]

"Andy..if that's your opinion, fine. But you can't force other people to live by your own moral or religious ideals. Everybody has their own belief on this matter.In the end it is their lives and their bodies".-xraygrrl,

It has nothing to do with moral or religious ideals. Are you not paying attention? Ending a life is not a "belief". People have the right to do what they want to their own bodies. Actually that's not true. If you tried to end your life you can be charged with a crime. Anyway, this is the baby's life and the baby's body, not the mothers. She cannot kill her 1 year old or her 1 week old

[xraygrrl]

I disagree with you. Attributing rights to an unborn fetus IS an ideological belief, and one that not everyone shares with you. The WOMAN is fully entitled to make decisions that will effect her life on a deeply personal scale. ...and that is my "belief".

[gotborked]

"Anti-abortion supporters have a deep rooted , puritanical desire to punish people for having sex."
What? No, they have a deep rooted desire to prevent the destruction of human life.

"When times are tough, there are a lot of people who can't afford any other pleasure in life than sex."
Wait, are you promoting that people should be having sex when they can't afford its consequences? That's pretty irresponsible, and for some cases, reckless--even according to typical pro-choice standards.

[xraygrrl]

People are going to have sex whether you approve of it or not.

[jessicadevyn]

So you see a baby as "punishment" for having sex? That's just lovely.

[Elbrando]

First the bill gives subsides for people to get private insurance and private insurance pays for abortions. Are they angry that people are getting private insurance or that private insurance pays for abortions?
The irony of this is that the public option cannot be used to pay for abortions. The public option would be under HHS and as such (because of the Hyde amendment) selective abortions cannot be paid for using federal funds.

[DeeDeeDaGumby]

Oh Great Gravy , here we go again...

[HabesSoulProvider]

In my state tax money in the form of medicaid has paid for 1st terms, for decades.

[Jay Whalley]

No matter what position you take on the abortion issue..be for it, be against it...make all the laws you want to outlaw them..everyone knows the rich will always, always, always have access..paying for them in America or in other countries..the powerless..let'm eat cake, go to jail or bleed to death in the street from botched attempts..

[HabesSoulProvider]

Yes.
The rich girls will be "visiting relatives", and the poor girls will be visiting the morgue.

[jme-SD]

Why aren't the pro-life people parked out in front of the headquarters of every insurance company in this country demanding justice for the 18000 a year who die because they have no insurance.

If you aren't born yet they are all worried about you. If you are in a coma you will never awaken from they are all on your side. If you are near death due to illness, they will tell you to use every means possible to stay alive even if you suffer needlessly for weeks and weeks. If If you are born and with brains working and it's possible to save you to live for a few years a full life - sorry - can't interfere with the private companies and the private market who are killing you.

[dayala]

because their agenda has nothing to do with 'life', it is about pro-power, pro-control, pro-domination all enveloped in the sexuality of female body as the means towards that goal much like the 'C' Street cultish dogma...just look at who the main agitators are...middle-aged to old white southern males.

does anyone seriously beiieve Coburn, Grassley, McCain REALLY CARE about my granddaughter's unborn child (if she was pregnant) while vigourously defending the freedoms and rights of wacko-zealots to come armed at townhall meetings inciting violence with "fill the the streets with blood"...if they REALLY believed in ACTUAL HUMAN LIFE guns would be banned and they would support war crimes prosecution against Bush/Cheney...BUT THEY DON"T.



.

[bzb]

But the timing of this new right-wing talking point seems to be planned it's ironic that now after Ted Kennedy death this an issue. Because the GOP knows that they must pass a bill with a public option. It's all scripted.

[sski74]

The folks against abortions are all about the rights of the unborn. But once that baby come out of the womb, he/she must fend for themselves, even if they are born to low income parents. No equal health care for that baby! No way, no sir. "I am not supporting that child with 'socialized' medicine (even though they may be eligible for medicaid)!" Talk about hypocrisy!

[AndyWright68]

Why can't the people who want to solve these issues think past m.u.r.d.e.r.i.n.g the baby to save a few bucks?

How about not getting pregnant? That would be a good start. responsibility would be be a great second step. Instead of k.i.l.l it, problem solved!

[dayala]

I have a better solution, why don't you... and all those like you... take responsibility for solving the issue by castrating yourselves...heck I'd even support the public option paying for it.

[Jase84]

Isn't that exactly what the Repubs were proposing. Going the private insurance route, how would their plan avoid this?

[bzb]

Easily by letting the states decides.

Funding should be part of the HR 3200.