Where Are My Rights? Following Health Care Reform
Posted by: Intern Stephanie V.
in Feminizzle
on Nov 09, 2009 
On Saturday night, the House of Representatives passed the health care reform bill, 220-215. However, the bill must still pass the Senate and be signed by the President to be enacted into law.
What exactly does health care reform represent? Will it be more of a setback for women than a push forward? The bill includes the Stupak Amendment, which bans any funding for abortions.
Considering the ban on partial birth abortions and the debates around health care reform, many people are worried that this will lead America back down a path in which Roe v. Wade could be overturned.
Could this slowly enact back to abortion being illegal again? Even if the answer is no, it will become much more difficult for a woman to procure an abortion and the necessary care involved in the procedure.
About the Bill
- The health care reform (Affordable Health Care for America Act aka H.R. 3962) does not allow insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions or on the basis of gender and medical history.
- The public option is not enacted yet and could be stopped in the Senate with a state "opt-out" clause or the Republicans could filibuster.
- On the fence about the health care debate? Consider Dennis Kucinich's piece, "Why is it we have finite resources for health care but unlimited money for war?"
What You Should Know
Health care reform is a milestone event in the United States and will certainly change and affect the lives of millions across the board. Taking all of this in stride with media coverage and political debate, what does the health care bill mean to Americans and how will it affect us?
One of the biggest issues in this bill centers around abortion, which has its own amendment (the Stupak Amendment).
- Abortion is excluded from the bill. Which means that any person seeking an abortion would have to pay the total cost.
- Since federal funds are prohibited from this bill, this can create a large out-of-pocket expense and hampers reproductive rights. Of course abortion is still legal, but the Stupak amendment could create limitations by means of economic access.
- In many cases, the financial aspect (i.e. lack of money) will deny women the ability to get an abortion because they cannot pay for it.
- Federal funding is not banned in concern with abortion within the realms of incest, rape, and health danger to the mother.
- However, since all health insurance companies will be funded by the government, there will be no funding for abortion. The National Organization for Women stated that the Stupak Amendment "obliterate women's fundamental fundamental right to choose."
- This amendment is supported by both Republicans and conservative Democrats. According to cnn.com: "The GOP accounted for 174 of the votes in favor of the amendment, with 1 Republican voting "present." On the Democrats' side, 64 voted for the measure, and 194 voted against.")
What You Can Do
- Stay informed! Read up on health care reform from a variety of view points. Websites and news programs have different biases and view points. Check back often.
- Get active. Write letters, go to meetings, public forums, and community functions.
Stay informed and follow these websites for updates on health care reform: http://www.healthreform.gov/
Think Progress
The New York Times
Cnn.com
Image courtesy of healthcareforamericanow.org
Comments (10)
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Unfortunately this article is a bit misguided. Elective abortions have never been paid for by the government, and they shouldn't. Where would our responsibility as adults lie if any time we didn't want to not use birth control or take the necessary steps to not get pregnant we could just go to the doctor and get a free remedy (killing a baby)? This act changes nothing, it just continues the policy since Roe v. Wade and unfortunately is used as a talking point to polarize the debate against this bill when in fact, it changes nothing. The real issue that needs to be debated and changed in our healthcare is cost and the bill that passed the house does not lower cost, just increases cost for our government to bear and doesn't even cover everyone who isn't insured. Once a bill includes tort reform and a decrease in administrative costs due to the paperwork required of private health insurers and medicare/medicaid we will only begin to see the 'reform' our healthcare system so direly needs.
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@Brent--
I agree with much of what you have to say about the broad changes that would be needed to effectively improve our healthcare system-- changes that are not part of the current proposal. However, I wish that you wouldn't use such inflammatory language to make your points about abortion. You are entitled to your opinion, but it is a fact, not an opinion, that a fetus (especially one in the first trimester when the vast majority of abortions are done) is not a baby. Until the second month it is a cluster of cells; until the third month it is the size of a kidney bean; until well into the 2nd trimester it is sexless. This is not a baby. The words "embryo" and "fetus" exist for a reason. They denote something different from "baby", and your avoidance of them indicates more the desire to provoke than to make a cogent argument.
Also, you say that nothing will change under the current bill. Not true. Insurance companies that want to participate in the government health insurance exchanges will be required to drop coverage of abortions from their plans. This means that women who currently have this coverage will lose it. Regardless of whether you think this is good or bad, it is most certainly a change.
Again, I appreciate the dialogue, and am open to hearing out the arguments of those with opinions that differ from mine. But the use of phrases such as "killing babies" are only polarizing and intended to shock. They do little to advance a productive discourse.
I agree with much of what you have to say about the broad changes that would be needed to effectively improve our healthcare system-- changes that are not part of the current proposal. However, I wish that you wouldn't use such inflammatory language to make your points about abortion. You are entitled to your opinion, but it is a fact, not an opinion, that a fetus (especially one in the first trimester when the vast majority of abortions are done) is not a baby. Until the second month it is a cluster of cells; until the third month it is the size of a kidney bean; until well into the 2nd trimester it is sexless. This is not a baby. The words "embryo" and "fetus" exist for a reason. They denote something different from "baby", and your avoidance of them indicates more the desire to provoke than to make a cogent argument.
Also, you say that nothing will change under the current bill. Not true. Insurance companies that want to participate in the government health insurance exchanges will be required to drop coverage of abortions from their plans. This means that women who currently have this coverage will lose it. Regardless of whether you think this is good or bad, it is most certainly a change.
Again, I appreciate the dialogue, and am open to hearing out the arguments of those with opinions that differ from mine. But the use of phrases such as "killing babies" are only polarizing and intended to shock. They do little to advance a productive discourse.
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While I think that an abortion isn't a great choice, I also think that gastric bypass isn't a great choice. As such, I could still never deny other people the choice to get the procedures. There are reasons they exist. To make a blanket statement that women who have abortions just aren't being responsible enough with their birth control is 1, misguided (you think they'd be any more responsible with a helpless human being? Get real!) and 2. entirely inaccurate. There are many reasons women end up having to choose abortion, none of them pleasant.
While the rank and file of the conservative movement is gung ho on reversing Roe vs. Wade, the elected leaders won't actually ever let that happen. As long as they make it as difficult as possible to actually get one without really making it illegal, they will always have a base of voters to activate when the need the money and the votes. What the that portion of the electorate just doesn't want to understand is that they are being emotionally manipulated by it, instead of actually being listened to about it. They're also the type (authoritarians) who will always swallow what their leaders say without analyzing the words and actions. Therefore, those elected officials will never be held accountable for their lack of action on behalf of the conservative base that got them elected in the first place. And that is just what they want, people who will come through for them without having to come through for their voters in return.
While the rank and file of the conservative movement is gung ho on reversing Roe vs. Wade, the elected leaders won't actually ever let that happen. As long as they make it as difficult as possible to actually get one without really making it illegal, they will always have a base of voters to activate when the need the money and the votes. What the that portion of the electorate just doesn't want to understand is that they are being emotionally manipulated by it, instead of actually being listened to about it. They're also the type (authoritarians) who will always swallow what their leaders say without analyzing the words and actions. Therefore, those elected officials will never be held accountable for their lack of action on behalf of the conservative base that got them elected in the first place. And that is just what they want, people who will come through for them without having to come through for their voters in return.
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As it stands now, most private insurance does not cover abortion... why should federal-funded insurance? Even if a woman seeking an abortion has insurance, there is a very good chance she would pay out of pocket either way.
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What you have the right to bare fire arms but not the right to pro-choice? What kind of f@#!*d-up backwoods society is this? I’m really perplexed to how complex your health system is and can only be thankful for how fortunate we are in Australia to have a medicare (free health) system and female community clinics for now, and am hoping we never go down the same path. Our free health system is for all, similar to our public education, if society as a whole is not supported in health and education then what you end up getting is a vast amount of uneducated ignorant people whom believe the shit that is fed to them from the power brokers (religions/politics) whom ultimately line there pockets with gold utilising the money from the rich to keep them elected and have no care to the future of your country. Basically a society which ends up devouring themselves just like the Roman Empire did.
When contraception is mentioned as being the wholly grail of responsibility, just make sure you read the instructions that comes with it, it states that medication, drugs, or alcohol can interfere with the effectiveness, and lets just hope you don’t happen to have a vomiting spell whilst on the pill. And as for men taking ultimate responsibility by wearing condoms at all times, good luck!
It is a humanitarian right that all people are entitled to subsidised health, and education. This keeps society as a whole strong. I praise Obama and wish for health care reform including subsidised medical assistance for women in need. This is standard practice in other western societies, stand up for what should be!
When contraception is mentioned as being the wholly grail of responsibility, just make sure you read the instructions that comes with it, it states that medication, drugs, or alcohol can interfere with the effectiveness, and lets just hope you don’t happen to have a vomiting spell whilst on the pill. And as for men taking ultimate responsibility by wearing condoms at all times, good luck!
It is a humanitarian right that all people are entitled to subsidised health, and education. This keeps society as a whole strong. I praise Obama and wish for health care reform including subsidised medical assistance for women in need. This is standard practice in other western societies, stand up for what should be!
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I am not sure what the current situation is with regards to federal funds for abortion. However, although I too would pay for my own abortion if that was the decision I made, it's important to consider that many women do not have the money to do that. In turn, the cycle of poverty continues as women bear children who will grow up in an economically deprived environment.
It amounts to structural discrimination against those, who because of the financial situation around them, do not have access to contraception, and then do not have access to an affordable alternative to having a child.
It amounts to structural discrimination against those, who because of the financial situation around them, do not have access to contraception, and then do not have access to an affordable alternative to having a child.
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I believe that every human being has the right to choose. We do not need to go into personal situations, the bottom line is governments should be for the people. If someone decides to have an abortion than safe and affordable healthcare should be available to them. I don't care if you do not believe in abortion, that is your personal choice, but it is not everybody elses view. The freedom to make your own decisions about your personal health and life is what the democratic system is about.
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The bottom line is, I need this bill to pass, because I am part of the millions who risk losing their healthcare (and because I have bipolar disorder, my standard of living) without the changes it will bring about. I will not let something so medically minor affect a system people depend on for far more life-threatening needs.