If we are going to have a serious argument about civil liberties, specifically freedom of religion, I fail to see how anyone can argue that our first amendment rights are best left to interpretation by church oligarchs.
While the media was obsessing about the contraceptives controversy, the Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a final rule that even the Catholic bishops should support.
The highly polarized debate over birth control has given rise to allegations of governmental interference and a purported "war" on religious freedom. But much of the over-heated rhetoric is due to the increasingly polarized state of our nation.
When officials of the Catholic Church resort to claims of conscience, they are not referring to the conscience of the women who seek insurance coverage for birth control; they are referring to their own stricken conscience.
You know what we have yet to see? A poll of the workers affected. Not a single "woman on the street" interview, not a single union representative, not a single spokesperson for the women themselves.
Shouldn't the CEOs of health insurance companies like Blue Shield have to sign under penalty of perjury that their rate hikes are justified? Californians will vote on that proposition in November, and are almost sure to approve.
There is a significant difference between recognizing a woman's "right" to choose and making it the "obligation" of others to pay for or facilitate that choice.
When I am looking for a candidate that stood by women and fought for access to birth control, Barack Obama will be my candidate.
The overarching goal of health care reform was to attempt to ensure affordable access to health insurance and medical care for most Americans. It barely touches skyrocketing health-care costs and accelerates primary-care physician shortages.
At the end of the day, each woman has to be able to make these health-related decisions for herself. It is not her employer, but her own sense of morality and the counsel of her doctor that must guide her choices.
Together we can eradicate suffering in silence, the shame about our bodies that prevents us from getting the care we need, and the senseless deaths of women waiting too long in silence.
To build and maintain affordable medical care, we must buy collectively through either private insurance or government social insurance.
Shame on Romney for lying to Florida seniors as he cheers on Paul Ryan's plan to take away their health care and retirement security.
It is nearly impossible for most consumers to calculate health plan value. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has some key provisions to address this gap.
Had Sarah Burke's accident occurred in Canada, her family would not be having to come up with more than half a million dollars to pay for her care. Her care would have been covered because, unlike the U.S., Canada has a system of universal coverage.
For decades, and through one administration after another, the lack of safety in our healthcare system has gone un-addressed, placing us at greater and greater risk.
