Contraception Coverage

BYElizabeth Martin

Imagine you are a woman who works in a religious organization. You find out by your doctor that you need to start taking contraception, or birth control. You also find out that the type plus brand of birth control prescribed to you is expensive. You are not going to be taking contraception to prevent pregnancy, but because of health reasons, yet since you work for a religious organization they will not cover your newly prescribed medication. The medication is too expensive for you to pay for every month and no one will cover you. What are you to do?

Black vs. White

Two sides :

Religious vs. Women Rights

Religious Freedom Restoration Act vs. Affordable Health Care Act

Religious

Believe in God’s plan and birth control inhibits that

Children are a blessing and should be allowed to come into the world naturally, not when it is most convenient for the parents.

Life begins at contraception and some prescriptions kill life

Businesses have the right to practice religion (1st amendment) – government cannot force people/business’ to go against their beliefs

Religious Freedom Restoration Act

This act is a Federal Law and was enacted on November 16, 1993. This act was put into place to ensure that interests in religious freedom are protected.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki Religious_Freedom_Restoration_Act)

Women Rights• Women have the right to receive medication• Women have the right to receive medication coverage• Women are entitled to not be discriminated against• The cost of some prescriptions are very high

Health Care Act

• This act went into effect in 2010 which included a list of health-related provisions. One of the section talked about birth control.

• This Act “requires health plans to provide coverage for women contraception without cost sharing. (http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/insurance-coverage-for-contraception-state-laws.aspx) .

Purpose/ Problem

The religious argument is valid and understandable, however birth control/ contraception are used for other reasons beside pregnancy prevention.

Other Reasons

Serious minstrel cycles : craps, bleeding, pain in general, headaches, etc.

Hormones : women going through menopause use birth control to help replace hormones in their body to make this process less painful and stressful

Also other women who do not have, or have an imbalance in their hormones use birth control to also replace them.

Solutions of the Government

Acts- Affordable Care Act

Mandates

BillsAll of these do not address both sides to the argument = they do not work

My Solution

Case by Case

This means religious organizations and businesses need to have a system to ask if their female employees take birth control, and if they do, why.

Or..

Allow female employees to come and talk with the ceo or president to ask if they can be covered.

Once again, imagine you are a woman who works in a religious organization. You find out by your doctor that you need to start taking contraception, or birth control. You also find out that the type plus brand of birth control prescribed to you is expensive. You are not going to be taking contraception to prevent pregnancy, but because of health reasons, yet since you work for a religious organization they will not cover your newly prescribed medication. The medication is too expensive for you to pay for every month and no one will cover you. What are you to do?

Questions?