Columbus, OH - Kellie Copeland, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, blasted the Ohio House for their one-day rush to pass a resolution in opposition to insurance coverage of birth control.
“It is outrageous that both Speaker Bill Batchelder and his Health Committee Chairman Lynn Watchmann cut off debate in their rush to pass a resolution attacking contraceptive coverage without a copay for millions of Ohio women,” said Kellie Copeland, “Contraception is basic health care and has been used by 99 percent of women (including 98 percent of Catholic women). Something this serious deserved a full debate. Ohio women and their families are outraged by this shocking intrusion into their private medical decisions.”
On Friday, President Obama announced a new policy connected with federal health care reform that will give contraceptive coverage to women of all faiths who work for religiously affiliated hospitals, universities, and other service organizations. This policy requires insurance companies to directly offer coverage for contraception without additional costs to the individuals insured by these religiously affiliated organizations, thus removing responsibility to offer or pay for contraceptive services from these organizations. The president’s plan guarantees that women will encounter no barriers from either their employers or insurance plans in getting birth control without a copay. President Obama addressed issues regarding religious liberty in a respectful way that still guarantees women’s unfettered access to birth control.
President Obama’s policy solution means millions of women, including nurses, janitorial staff, and college instructors, will not need their bosses’ permission for access to contraception. Unfortunately, anti- contraception groups and their political allies in Congress and the Ohio House are continuing to attack this compromise.
These opponents of birth control -- politicians and organizations alike -- want Congress to override President Obama’s policy solution and allow any boss to be able to deny his employees a health plan that covers birth control. An official with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told USA Today that he’s outraged because the new birth-control policy will cover employees at regular businesses. He said: “Good Catholic business people… can't in good conscience cooperate with this.... If I quit this job and opened a Taco Bell, I’d be covered by the mandate.”
Both Congress and the Senate could take up anti-birth-control measures this week.
