Shutdown Puts Politics Over Women’s Health
By Jacqueline Murphy | Oct. 1, 2013, 6:12 p.m.
Category: Health Care Equity
Late Saturday night, anti-women’s health lawmakers in the House of Representatives, showed they are willing to do whatever it takes to stop Obamacare and take away women’s access to health care, even if that includes shutting down the entire government.
To make matters worse, they snuck in a provision that would let any employer or insurance company deny preventive health services to women based on a subjective “moral” objection; however, they wouldn’t be able to refuse to cover preventive care for men. Sounds fair, right? They’re willing to shut down the government rather than make health care more affordable for millions of Americans—and they’re targeting women’s preventive care in the process.
As Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards said, “This unprecedented and ongoing attack on women's health is out of touch with the needs of millions of women and is deeply unpopular with the American public. Seven in ten Americans believe that health insurance companies should cover the full cost of birth control, just as they do for other preventive services. These policies are working.”
Already 27 million Americans have benefited from Obamacare, and today even despite this morning’s government shutdown, enrollment is now OPEN for the Affordable Care Act’s new health insurance plans. That means millions more will get access to affordable health care for the first time. It’s great news for millions of Americans, but it doesn’t mean that these out-of-touch lawmakers aren’t going to go after pieces of the law they can affect, with disastrous consequences if they succeed.
It’s time for Congress to stop playing politics and get back to work. Send a letter today and tell your representatives: enough is enough.
Tags: Obamacare, Budget, shutdown, House Republicans
