The Trump administration has announced an interim rule that allows employers with religious objections to provide health insurance plans that do not cover birth control. The result has been an outpouring of upset from the left. The move has been called "an attack on women's health" by various senators, while others actually said that women would "die" as a result of the change. Various Democrat state attorneys general have announced the intention to sue to overturn the new rule. In short, we have gotten the typical overreaction.
Let's consider two important points.
First, this is a very minor issue. According to reports, once can buy a year's worth of birth control pills at Walmart for $48. That's $4 per month. It's not too much to expect people to spend that on their own. Further, other birth control methods can be obtained for even less. No one need "die" because of this.
Second, the lawsuits threatened will surely lose. Under Obamacare, the Secretary of HHS is given the power to set rules for the content of health insurance plans. That means that the Trump administration has the power to make this change. It may be possible that the methodology used to make the change was erroneous; that I have not researched. But remember, even were a court to find that the method used was wrong, the government could just follow the proper procedure and put the rule back in place ASAP.
The very people who gave this power to the government are the ones who are must upset that it is using that power.
Let's consider two important points.
First, this is a very minor issue. According to reports, once can buy a year's worth of birth control pills at Walmart for $48. That's $4 per month. It's not too much to expect people to spend that on their own. Further, other birth control methods can be obtained for even less. No one need "die" because of this.
Second, the lawsuits threatened will surely lose. Under Obamacare, the Secretary of HHS is given the power to set rules for the content of health insurance plans. That means that the Trump administration has the power to make this change. It may be possible that the methodology used to make the change was erroneous; that I have not researched. But remember, even were a court to find that the method used was wrong, the government could just follow the proper procedure and put the rule back in place ASAP.
The very people who gave this power to the government are the ones who are must upset that it is using that power.
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