Health Care and Contraception: Did the Supreme Court Get It Right?

[Brian]

Should religious family-owned companies be required to cover contraceptives under their insurance plans? The high court says no.

I'm curious how you nurses feel about this? Please take a second to vote in our quick poll.

This is a highly political topic, I'd rather not turn this into a hot argumentative subject, so please keep your comments civil :) But please feel free to comment. Thanks

Here is an article on the topic:

Hobby Lobby Ruling Cuts Into Contraceptive Mandate

In a 5-4 decision Monday, the Supreme Court allowed a key exemption to the health law's contraception coverage requirements when it ruled that closely held for-profit businesses could assert a religious objection to the Obama administration's regulations. What does it mean? Here are some questions and answers about the case.What did the court's ruling do?

The court's majority said that the for-profit companies that filed suit-Hobby Lobby Stores, a nationwide chain of 500 arts and crafts stores, and Conestoga Wood Specialties, a maker of custom cabinets-didn't have to offer female employeesall Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptivesas part of a package of preventive services that must be covered without copays or deductibles under the law. The companies had argued that several types of contraceptivesviolate their owners' religious beliefs. The ruling also covers a Hobby Lobby subsidiary, the Mardel Christian bookstores.

[Jillybean48]

YOU ALREADY KNOW WHERE THEY STAND WITH YOU WHEN YOU TAKE A JOB OR POSITION WITH THEM. No one is forcing you to work at places like Baylor University, Pepperdine, or other homophobic institutions. No one is forcing you to live in states like Texas or Arkansas. You don't HAVE to work at Hobby Lobby, if you disagree with its politics. Am I right?

Yes! Right!

[MunoRN, RN]

Here's my line of thinking with this. I'm liberal, homosexual, and pro-choice -- HOWEVER -- I do believe in a pluralistic democracy and generally support the rights of those whose beliefs differ from mine, in fact, those who hate people like me, realizing they would never support my rights in a million years. Now, I have the same issue with homosexuals, lesbians, and transgendered folk who go to work for religious institutions. YOU ALREADY KNOW WHERE THEY STAND WITH YOU WHEN YOU TAKE A JOB OR POSITION WITH THEM. No one is forcing you to work at places like Baylor University, Pepperdine, or other homophobic institutions. No one is forcing you to live in states like Texas or Arkansas. You don't HAVE to work at Hobby Lobby, if you disagree with its politics. Am I right?

Shouldn't employers be just as to blame? After all, they're the ones hiring women who have sex, if they disagree with that then why hire them in the first place?

[glsgirl1985]

I think the Supreme Court was correct and no family owned company should be forced to provide insurance or anything else that goes against their beliefs. If you do not like this stipulation on your insurance you are free to seek out employment that will meet your needs as an individual. I think we as a country of diversity in beliefs allow for religious differences in our culture and must also allow companies that are family owned to practice their beliefs as freely as we do as individuals.

[MunoRN, RN]

I don't understand where you came up with that conclusion. I clearly state in my post what I believe the government has the right and does not have the right to do.

I didn't come up with that conclusion, the supreme court did. The court's ruling, which you seem to agree with, was that employers don't need to be required to provide contraception coverage because the government can just provide contraception coverage directly, so my question is if you actually agree with that.

[MunoRN, RN]

This makes no sense. What does that have to do with you forcing me to supply your birth control? Your argument is invalid because freedom of religion covers people obtaining employment despite their religion, ethnicities, etc. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the US Constitution.

No employer is required to supply birth control, the requirement is that they provide insurance which covers preventative care, which includes contraception. And they specifically stated they were not basing their ruling on the constitution.

[MunoRN, RN]

I think the Supreme Court was correct and no family owned company should be forced to provide insurance or anything else that goes against their beliefs. If you do not like this stipulation on your insurance you are free to seek out employment that will meet your needs as an individual. I think we as a country of diversity in beliefs allow for religious differences in our culture and must also allow companies that are family owned to practice their beliefs as freely as we do as individuals.

Anything else that goes against their beliefs? What about an employer that doesn't think women should work at all based on their beliefs. Should we respect their right to not hire women only because they are women?

[CIRQL8]

The United States has already proven that law can supersede religious views. Polygamy has been outlawed. As had human and animal sacrifice. No one (with a few exceptions) has complained about that. For profit companies like hobby lobby may be owned by religious personnel but those companies are not exempt from tax laws, local state and federal laws and do not hold religious not for profit status. They are not churches and are not run by churches. And my catholic institution run hospital won't cover oral contraceptives or fertility treatments. While they may have the law protecting this, they now impose their beliefs on me.

I respect the position of those that disagree with me. But I still do not agree with it.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

As a life-long JW, I sure would like you to explain that to me.

If a Fundamentalist Christian business owner can refuse to offer birth control in their employee health plan because it violates their religious beliefs, what will stop a Jehovah's Witness business owner from refusing to offer employee health insurance that covers blood transfusions?

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Forcing someone to provide birth control to others when it is against their religion has nothing to do with personal beliefs. They are not telling their employees that they have to believe in their religion. This is a constitutional case because if I start MY own business in a free economy, nobody has the right to MAKE me provide birth control to other people if it is against MY personal views; why do I say "MY personal views"? Because this is my business, I own it. If you don't like what your employer has to offer you move on.

Then don't incorporate so you have a veil between yourself and liability for the company. Claiming the company is NOT you by incorporating (so you can protect yourself and your personal assets) is disingenous if you then want to claim the company IS you so you can force your religious beliefs on your employees.

This IS yet another reason healthcare shouldn't be tied to our employers. But as long as private insurers are paying for our lawmakers' election campaigns, it's a reality we have to deal with. How long is this going to hold up when a "closely held" (as most companies are) company refuses to pay for a man's blood transfusion? Or a child's blood transfusion? Or pay for medical care at all because the owner is Christian Scientist?

[raisincookie]

OCNRN63 already explained it

It's against our faith for a member of the faith to get a transfusion. What a non-Witness does is beyond our control, and really, none of our business.

And even if were a fellow Witness asking for a transfusion it is their decision to make.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

No one is forcing you to work at places like Baylor University, Pepperdine, or other homophobic institutions. No one is forcing you to live in states like Texas or Arkansas. You don't HAVE to work at Hobby Lobby, if you disagree with its politics. Am I right?

What a privileged life you've led if you think it's easy to move to another state or get a job anywhere you want.

It's like saying, everyone knows people are racist in Alabama, so if you're black and don't like it, just move north! Never mind that your family is in Alabama. Never mind that you may not have money to move. Just move!

[wooh, BSN, RN]

OCNRN63 already explained it

And even if were a fellow Witness asking for a transfusion it is their decision to make.

Not all Christians have or try to force their pseudo-science beliefs about contraception on their employees, but it not being a requirement of the religion didn't stop Hobby Lobby.