Beginning on Aug. 1, 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will require all health insurance plans to cover women's contraceptives. These services include birth control and voluntary sterilization. This regulation is a part of the Affordable Care Act's initiative to prevent problems with unwanted pregnancies before they begin.
YES: A company's policies should not interfere employees' ability to receive contraceptives under their health care plans.
It's not a secret – not having access to birth control can lead to unwanted pregnancy or abortions. Without birth control, a woman would have to choose between these two life-changing options. But contraceptives provide an array of alternatives. In certain parts of the world, having access to contraceptives would help lower rapid population growth. In the United States, where contraceptives are available, women should have this alternative. So when one American woman has access to birth control and contraceptive services, all covered by their health care, how is it fair that some women don't have that access because of their employer's personal beliefs? How could we allow a company's religious beliefs to stand in the way of a woman's right?
The purpose of this decision is to provide millions of women with affordable birth control, many of who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it. With this new regulation, the government has decided to support a woman's right to choose when she becomes pregnant. The regulation also includes screenings for gestational diabetes, the human papillomovirus (HPV), support for breast feeding and counseling on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to CNN. Supporters of the bill view this decision as a victory for women's health. "Covering birth control without co-pays is one of the most important steps we can take to prevent unintended pregnancy and keep women and children healthy," Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood of America, said.
However, not all companies want to offer covered contraceptives. The Family Research Council, for instance, sees the program as a challenge to the conscience of many Americans. These companies demanded the ability to decline coverage for contraceptives because providing them would contradict their moral beliefs. In response, the Obama administration amended the regulation to make it optional for religious institutions to provide their employees with coverage for birth control. But the availability of birth control should not be decided by the employer, but by the woman herself. She should not be forced one way or another, and there is no harm in providing the option. Options are a good thing, and it is up to the woman to choose what to do with what's provided.
Many women struggle to afford birth control; providing them an opportunity to obtain cheaper contraceptives can be life-altering. "Millions of women, especially young women, struggle every day to afford prescription birth control," Richards said. "Today's recommendation brings us a step closer to ensuring that all newly insured women under the health care reform law will have access to prescription birth control without out-of-pocket expenses."
No woman should have to struggle to pay for contraceptive services, hence the new law. But if one woman is provided with these services, all women should be provided with, at least, the option – including struggling women who otherwise would not be able to afford it. If a woman is an employee at a company that has a religious issue with contraceptives, she should not have to suffer for that.
Should she have to find a job somewhere else just to exercise her basic reproductive rights? The government should not have to make an amendment to a law that simply provides someone with an optional choice. The government was correct in requiring all companies to provide health care coverage for contraceptive services, leaving it up to the woman to decide if she will take advantage of the services or not.
YES: A company's policies should not interfere employees' ability to receive contraceptives under their health care plans.
President Obama's proposed plan will require all health care providers to include contraceptives in their plans.
The purpose of this decision is to provide millions of women with affordable birth control, many of who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it. With this new regulation, the government has decided to support a woman's right to choose when she becomes pregnant. The regulation also includes screenings for gestational diabetes, the human papillomovirus (HPV), support for breast feeding and counseling on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to CNN. Supporters of the bill view this decision as a victory for women's health. "Covering birth control without co-pays is one of the most important steps we can take to prevent unintended pregnancy and keep women and children healthy," Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood of America, said.
However, not all companies want to offer covered contraceptives. The Family Research Council, for instance, sees the program as a challenge to the conscience of many Americans. These companies demanded the ability to decline coverage for contraceptives because providing them would contradict their moral beliefs. In response, the Obama administration amended the regulation to make it optional for religious institutions to provide their employees with coverage for birth control. But the availability of birth control should not be decided by the employer, but by the woman herself. She should not be forced one way or another, and there is no harm in providing the option. Options are a good thing, and it is up to the woman to choose what to do with what's provided.
Supporters of Obama's plan believe that birth control should be covered in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
No woman should have to struggle to pay for contraceptive services, hence the new law. But if one woman is provided with these services, all women should be provided with, at least, the option – including struggling women who otherwise would not be able to afford it. If a woman is an employee at a company that has a religious issue with contraceptives, she should not have to suffer for that.
Should she have to find a job somewhere else just to exercise her basic reproductive rights? The government should not have to make an amendment to a law that simply provides someone with an optional choice. The government was correct in requiring all companies to provide health care coverage for contraceptive services, leaving it up to the woman to decide if she will take advantage of the services or not.
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