Evangelical College Ends Health Coverage To Avoid Even Declaring Objection to Birth Control

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

Wheaton College has taken its battle over Obamacare's birth control mandate from the courtroom to its campus.

The evangelical college in Illinois told its students last week that it would be ending the health insurance plans it had been offering them due to its case against Obama administration, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The school terminated its plan not due to the fact that it was being forced to pay for contraceptive coverage -- it is not -- but that it is in a legal battle over whether it should even have to notify the government that it is seeking a religious exemption to providing contraceptive coverage. The current policy for religious non-profits gives them an exemption, at which point the government directs insurers to provide birth control coverage through a separate policy not paid for by the non-profit.

Wheaton contends that even the act of notifying the government of its religious opposition to birth control coverage makes it complicit in providing birth control. A federal appeals court has rejected Wheaton's contention, so rather than comply with the requirement that it notify the feds, Wheaton is ending all health coverage for students.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/wheaton-birth-control-obamacare

[jtuck004]

1. Oh please. They just shifted the cost of insurance to the parents. In addition to tuition, housing,

etc.

Sounds more noble this way, instead of just admitting to being a greedy, venal group of ass clowns.

Probably easier to see if you don't rely on the low value "education" they offer.

[daybranch]

14. Actually the parents were already paying

the students and their parents paid premiums and the college only acted as middleman, likely getting a better rate because students are healthier on average than general population. The students are not employees and do not receive any financial aid by the college to pay their insurance premiums.
All in all this is a plus for the nation as a whole, even though the students may pay a price in this case. Putting healthier individuals in the general pool reduces rates (eventually at least ) for all of us. Furthermore birth control for young people is the best insurance they can have at this stage of their lives when they really cannot afford a child and will prevent them abortions our right wing friends are so concerned about.
It would actually be a good thing for the country if all schools quit making insurance plans available to students especially as students can stay much later on their parents plan.
So let us not get too upset about this supposed thumbing in the eye of Obamacare and womens rights. It does nothing of significance to hurt neither health care nor women's rights and in truth lowers overall cost and expands access to birth control.

[jtuck004]

16. "students can stay much later on their parents plan." < If their parents are dead, just fuck 'em?

What an extraordinary lack of understanding of basic personal finance and the history of the country one has to have to make such a statement.

Instead of the state using it's size and power you want to put it directly out of the pockets of the people least likely to be able to pay for it.

That is a very Republican idea. I don't see the point in wasting more time with anything you write, though I doubt that will stop you.

bye.

[Raine1967]

2. Can someone give me a more rational explanation about this? Right now

just reading this article, it just reads like cutting nose off to spite face.

I admit I wasn't aware about Wheaton being this evangelical.

[riderinthestorm]

4. Wheaton IL has the most churches per square mile than anywhere else in the US nt

[Raine1967]

9. Wow.

Thanks for that info.

[RKP5637]

3. More idiots! n/t

[Turbineguy]

5. If you get sick

it's because God hates you anyway. Everybody knows that.

[Jerry442]

6. In other news...

Wheaton to expel all single women who are not virgins and married women who are not pregnant.

[Dawson Leery]

7. Hypocrites used to cover all forms of contraception until

you had a political cause to assault Obama and the left with.

[3catwoman3]

8. Wheaton College is extremely fundamental.

Interestingly enough, their website is currently down. If it were not, you could go on it and find, as part of their mission statement, their belief that Adam and Eve are the founding parents of the entire human race. I would love to sit in their biology classes and ask how that could happen without Adam and Eve committing incest with their offspring.

Wheaton College finally permitted dancing in the late 1990s.

Wheaton College is in the same sports conference as the college both our sons attended- Carthage College in Kenosha WI. We had several occasions, over 5 years as Carthage parents, to watch the 2 schools compete on the soccer pitch. Wheaton has a very successful men's soccer team and regularly beat Carthage. For a group of Christian young men, they are not good representatives of their faith - mean, dirty players who dive all the time to draw fouls. Seems like bearing false witness to me.

At the end of every game, home or away, they draw the opposing players into a prayer circle out in the middle of the pitch. If it is a home game for Wheaton, OK, fine. If it is an away game, mind your own damn business and keep your prayer circle to yourself. I find it incredibly presumptuous to do that on another school's field.

In the fall of 2014, our younger son's last season of college soccer, Carthage beat Wheaton for the first time in many years. It was one hell of a satisfying win.

So now, because they do not think anyone should have contraception, no matter who pays for it, they are going to drop their whole student health insurance program. A pox on Wheaton College.

[Raine1967]

10. Amazing.

Thank you for that explanation.

[3catwoman3]

13. One of the best known alumni...

...is Billy Graham. Also former house speaker Denny Hastert of the so-called "Hastert Rule" used to prevent bills from coming up for a vote.

When their website is back up, if you are so inclined, the mission statement section is quite fascinating. Part of it also affirms their belief is a physical heaven and hell.

As I am sure was crystal clear, I am no fan of this institution.

[TheKentuckian]

11. 99/100 if it could be shifted to the parents it already was because these school policies are high

Or least practically speaking because I guess you pay full frieght, no subsidies or employer contributions. With being able to stay on until 26 and probably most often a family plan costing the same no matter how many are on it if kids can be on their parents they are on their parent's policy.

No, they are shifting the cost either to the students in the former of yet more crushing debt, to a subsidized exchange plan, or Medicaid but in general it is probably better for the kids to just go that way except the kids with asshole parents that can but won't help.

[Zambero]

12. So they'll have unwanted pregnancies and sicker students

As Bill O'Reilly says, "We're lookin' out for ya!" Sorry kids, go find another college if you can.

[mainer]

15. Please do not confuse with Wheaton College in Massachusetts

which is NOT an evangelical institution.

http://wheatoncollege.edu

[Dawson Leery]

17. Being a non-evangelical university means it is a legitimate organization.

[Marrah_G]

19. I was shocked for aminute until I found out it wasn't the one in Norton.

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. "ending all health coverage for students" - what about for the people who made the decision?

Are they giving up their own health coverage, since they seem to think this is a point of principle? It' not a principle if you make others suffer, while still benefiting from what you are claiming is an evil system yourself.