Birth control may now be wedge issue against GOP

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/birth-control-may-now-be-wedge-issue-against-gop/2012/02/10/gIQAbzVO4Q_blog.html

Birth control may now be wedge issue against GOP
By Greg Sargent


At his press conference this morning announcing the new shift in contraception policy, Obama said: “I understand that some folks in Washington may want to treat this as another political wedge issue. But it shouldn’t be.”

The irony is that after this announcement, this very well may become a wedge issue — against Republicans.

That’s because anyone who comes out against the proposal Obama outlined today will be asked a simple question: Are you saying that employers should dictate to female employees whether they should or shouldn’t have access to affordable birth control?

snip//

There’s been a ton of commentary to the effect that Obama’s stance on contaception could damage him among Catholic swing voters. For all I know, it’s possible, particularly among church-going, as opposed to secular, catholics. But this is clearly bad politics for Republicans, too. All the GOP presidential candidates can be expected to double down on opposition to Obama’s new policy. Multiple recent polls have shown Obama opening up a sizable lead against Romney among women. What kind of impact do you think GOP opposition to Obama’s new announcement will have on that gender gap?

By the way, a new poll came out just today illustrating how perilous this position may be among Americans overall. It found that a big majority, 61 percent, approve of “requiring employer health plans to cover birth control for women.” Only 34 percent disapproved. Independents approve 58-34; women, 67-29. Republicans, conservatives, and Tea Partyers all oppose it.

The polling organization that published these findings? Fox News.

[BeyondGeography]

1. Look at those #'s...He was already starting to win on the economy and they hand him this gift

Starting to look like the New York Giants v. Slippery Rock.

[patrice]

2. I'm hearing people say they don't want to PAY for the BC benefit by having it included in their

insurance pools.

To which one might respond with one word: viagara.

But if they say they should not have to pay for viagara either, doesn't that turn the argument toward the religious issues, as in the state/government acting to establish a specific religious point-of-view = anti-Contraception choice, just like DADT, DOMA, Creationism etc. etc., which are religious manifestations that we are being asked to support through government enforcement, at minimum, and by means of any public money, taxes or tax exemptions, involved in the related resources . . . ?

[Pirate Smile]

3. Inform them that including birth control in the insurance pool actually LOWERS the amount the

insurance company pays out. It doesn't raise it.

An insurance pool where birth control is covered costs less then one without it because pregnancy is so expensive - that is why the insurance companies were willing to pay for it themselves if the religiously affiliated hospitals or schools wont.

[patrice]

4. Oh, HELL yes!!! Silly me. Thanks much.

[high density]

21. This is why it will easily be covered: It saves insurance companies money

The idea Obama has proposed is really a slam dunk for everybody outside of clueless old guys running the Catholic church and the 2% of sexually active Catholic women who don't use birth control.

[coldbeer]

5. I hope the extra insurance costs are not filtered down to our tax-exempt organizations!

An insurance pool where birth control is covered costs less
then one without it because pregnancy is so expensive - that
is why the insurance companies were willing to pay for it
themselves if the religiously affiliated hospitals or schools
wont

.

What if the money strapped insurance carrier decides
to charge more for customers demanding the pro-life? Would
the pro-lifers be willing to pay more as a stance on their
moral values and these pro-lifer would include religious
institutions.

[klook]

6. Actuarial science takes care of that

without need for inflammatory policy decisions. Pools with higher claim costs (no matter what the cause) end up having higher premiums.

[patrice]

13. And with the MLR, more of those higher premiums must go back into care, thus, at least in theory

resulting in lower claims, that is, IF they get the care right.

[patrice]

14. See my post above about the Medical Loss Ratio-MLR, implemented by the 2010 Affordable Care Act-ACA

(also known somewhat pejoratively as "Obamacare&quot .

Higher premiums = more money paid out for care (85% of the premium dollar as mandated by the ACA > MLR) = at least the potential for better care = lower claims = lower premiums.

Which equation will be given a market driven dynamic by the insurance pools, "Premiums too high ? Go to a different hc ins co."

And "the potential for better care" is going to be driven by a newly implemented Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute-PCORI, initiated by the ACA, which will be a patient knowledge-base derived from input from the patients, CAREGIVERS, and clinicians (NOT the insurance companies), a research derived knowledge-base that can be used as a set of standards by those who participate as they deal with hc ins cos on the matter of how to spend that .85-on-the-premium-dollar to get the best care.

[yardwork]

10. I don't like paying trillions for the U.S. to wage war but my tax dollars pay for it anyway.

I get tired of paying the salaries and lifelong benefits of complete morans in Congress but I have to do it anyway.

[patrice]

16. Not to mention subsidizing belief systems I don't believe in, energy technologies that are obsolete,

and hi-fructose corn syrup, GMOs, and other food-stuffs that I don't use or want.

[underpants]

7. Reality and logical are no longer in play. Fox News can create or continue this any way they want to

Fox News is the elephant in the room BUT I think that people (especially in the middle) will get tired of hearing about this and all that valuable air time will have gone to waste. Fox News really has nothing else to talk about though so they are caught in a corner. They are painting themselves into it.

[JJW]

8. Republicans want to put Catholic Chruch between you and your doctor

I'm not even a catholic nor is the majority of Americans.

[JDPriestly]

20. Precisely!

[tanyev]

9. The only people this "damages" Obama with are people who were never going to vote for him anyway.

[coldbeer]

25. people will never vote democratic

the american people are the 1%

[onlyadream]

11. The numbers against BC are astounding

I know they're the minority, but it's still in the double digits JUST for BC coverage! Are there really that many people against BC?

[patrice]

15. Link?

[onlyadream]

17. It's in the op

"By the way, a new poll came out just today illustrating how perilous this position may be among Americans overall. It found that a big majority, 61 percent, approve of “requiring employer health plans to cover birth control for women.” Only 34 percent disapproved. Independents approve 58-34; women, 67-29. Republicans, conservatives, and Tea Partyers all oppose it. "

I'm astounded that 34% disapprove. That's a lot of people. I really didnt think that many people would be against covered BC. People scare me.

[patrice]

22. Sorry, I'm confused. You're supporting FOX numbers by citing FOX numbers???

You are saying you DIDN'T think that, but now, because F*x Ewes has reported it, you find justification to be more scared than you were previously when you "didn't think that", from which we might infer that you think F*x Ewes is valid.

[onlyadream]

23. Ah, yes...

I read everything but the last line. Thanks for pointing that out, now I can enjoy my evening.

[patrice]

24. I scan all of the time too. It's a compulsion now, go fast, to get more info, NOW!!!

[coldbeer]

26. people scare me too!

The people are the 1%!

[CAPHAVOC]

12. Again.

I think all of this is a reason to get insurance companies out of the mix. There is no longer health insurance. Health Insurance is a false premise. Once underwriting is eliminated insurance ceases to exist.

[onlyadream]

18. All religious institutions should be taxed

If they dip their toe into politics.

If they stay out of politics, and take no money from the govt, then the govt should offer a tax credit, or something for the women who have to pay full price for BC. That way the church can be separate.

If a Catholic hospital is taking any money from the govt, then they should follow the "doctrine" of the govt. Thus, they would cover BC.

Now, what if stem cell research was able to fix those with spinal chord injuries? Would a patient coming into a catholic hospital's ER be treated with the stem cells, or would they be SOL?

[JDPriestly]

19. What better way to please voters than to take their employer's side

against them? I'm being sarcastic of course.

[Thinkingabout]

27. Sean Hannity was still trying to extort American females

Yesterday I was allowing Hannity to give his make on this subject. The agreement was already made and he was still pumping his spew. What about a females rights to make her choice to use BC.

[Tarheel_Dem]

28. They typically overplay their hands, and this is a perfect example. They've pretty much lost.....

the economy & national security, so they've resorted to the wedge issues of yesteryear. But guess what? The electorate has "evolved" (even Republicans) on many of these issues, hopefully to the detriment of the GOP.

[Grateful for Hope]

29. The more I read

the more I think that republicans don't have a prayer in November. Interesting that this was a FOX poll. I am sure the numbers are even higher among the general public.

[MidwestTransplant]

30. Yep and those morons are doubling down on it. Doubling down on stupid.