Obama's doublespeak on Catholic healthcare compromise
President Obama today announced that he would back away from his directive that Catholic organizations provide contraceptive and reproductive products to their employee's in their healthcare coverage. Instead, this is the compromise, as reported at Foxnews.com:
"Under the rule, women will still have access to free preventive care that includes contraceptive services, no matter where they work -- that core principle remains," Obama said. But he added, "Religious organizations won't have to pay for these services, and no religious institution will have to provide these services directly."
The change would allow religious organizations to refuse to cover contraceptive care. It would also require insurers to offer a plan that does not include contraceptive care in their contracts with nonprofit religious groups. But the insurers would be required to make contraception available free of charge to women anyway.
Huh?
Obama is forcing the same issue on Catholic groups, just by a different method. By forcing health insurance companies to offer these products "free" to its policyholders, how exactly does this change the scenario? And who is going to absorb the costs? Health insurers will now have to explain to Catholic groups that the government is mandating contraceptive coverage and no opt outs are permissible. It is clear that every member of the insurance provider, including those of Catholic faith, will pay the costs. Sounds a lot like doublespeak.