Obama Forces Insurance Industry to Pay for Birth Control
Obama may have lost control of the debt ceiling negotiations, but his administration is continuing to make positive changes behind the scenes. Expect an uproar from the GOP on this one. From the Huff Post:
Health insurance plans must cover birth control as preventive care for women, with no copays, the Obama administration said Monday in a decision with far-reaching implications for health care as well as social mores.
The requirement is part of a broad expansion of coverage for women's preventive care under President Barack Obama's health care law. Also to be covered without copays are breast pumps for nursing mothers, an annual "well-woman" physical, screening for the virus that causes cervical cancer and for diabetes during pregnancy, counseling on domestic violence, and other services.
In most countries, this would be seen as a common sense move – it will help prevent unwanted pregnancies and as a consequence lower abortion rates. But in America, the fanatical religious Right will view it as nasty liberals encouraging premarital sex. Thankfully, rational people are still in charge (just) and passing legislation that should help regular people enormously.
