I know folks are hammering McCain over the Phil Gramm comment, but dig this incredible response from McCain to Carly Fiorina immenintly sensible point that if health care is going to cover Viagra, it should cover birth control. I don't understand how it helps "men" to restrict access of birth control for women. What man thinks that restricting access to birth control for his wife/mother/daughter/partner helps him?
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"What man thinks that restricting access to birth control for his wife/mother/daughter/partner helps him?"
A man whose goal is not to respect or make happy or an equal citizen his wife/mother/daughter but to control them.
True jkd.
Is it me or is Mr. Straight Talk looking a bit tongue tied lately. You can almost see the gears engaging as he tries to twist and turn the various positions in his head.
I wonder when the natonal media will start pointing this out or if their big McCain lovefest will continue?
Not only does McCain seem tongue tied, but McCain also seems to be having trouble thinking for himself lately.
I have a real issue withe the way the media is covering this issue. The cost of birth control is expensive and a real issue for single women when it is not covered by your health insurance. This is not a joke but a real issue for women. The media needs to really discuss this issue. The right wants to ban abortion but doesn't want to fund birth control. This makes no sense to me as a women.
I have a real issue withe the way the media is covering this issue. The cost of birth control is expensive and a real issue for single women when it is not covered by your health insurance. This is not a joke but a real issue for women. The media needs to really discuss this issue. The right wants to ban abortion but doesn't want to fund birth control. This makes no sense to me as a women.
True LP and I think the media doesn't point this out because they don't want to be accused of bringing up McCain's age or any possible mental impairment that may have been caused by his years as a POW.
Unfortunately, that risks getting the type of government we had under Reagan where they rolled him out to joke and josh while all the policy decisions were being made an executed by Cheney and his ilk.
fanita, you're correct. This is a big issue that never sees the light of day. When you think about the out of wedlock birth stats that are presented in other blog entries here, you have to wonder about access and use of birth control methods as a factor. Of course, the right will likely say that abstinence is the answer, but isn't that an answer for the Viagra users too?
I sort of doubt that birth control vs. Viagara is a man vs. woman issue. It's more of a generational issue. Heterosexual women with older partners benefit from Viagara as much as heterosexual men with younger partners benefit from birth control.
The legitimate argument for McCain's stance is the following. We want birth control (and Viagara)to be as cheap as possible. Mandating that birth control be part of a health insurance plan doesn't (necessarily) make it cheaper. You now have to add the costs of administering the insurance claims to the manufacturer's costs and profit.
Liberals tend to think, "Ah, but if it is insured, the employer pays for it instead of the employee." That's actually wrong. Benefits are just part of your overall compensation. If the costs of drug plans go up, then (all other things being equal), your take-home pay is going to be less. So you pay, one way or the other.
I suppose birth control could be part of a publicly-funded universal drug benefit. It isn't in Canada or anywhere else that I'm aware of, so I don't think this is reasonable.
But what about Viagara? Why should it be insured? I would object to a mandate there too, but it's at least possible that there is an overall gain to insuring it. Erectile dysfunction is a risk that only happens to some people (although it is pretty common at a certain age). So maybe employees as a group are better off spreading this risk across the group, even if it means higher unit costs.
Anyway, neither Viagara nor birth control should be mandated, since that just means paying more for sex.
I am informed that I was wrong about Ontario, at least. It does cover birth control in the publicly-funded drug plan.
Actually, Pithlord, I used to live in the UK and birth control is covered there. They have special offices called "Well Women clinics" that specialize in gyn concerns. Extremely efficient and convenient, and well worth the higher taxes I paid.
Actually, Pithlord, I used to live in the UK and birth control is covered there. They have special offices called "Well Women clinics" that specialize in gyn concerns. Extremely efficient and convenient, and well worth the higher taxes I paid.
Actually, Pithlord, I used to live in the UK and birth control is covered there. They have special offices called "Well Women clinics" that specialize in gyn concerns. Extremely efficient and convenient, and well worth the higher taxes I paid.
OK. My point stands for mandates on private insurance.
Damn, why didn't I think about this before my vasectomy on Friday?