The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Bush Administration plans to let Illinois federal workers choose a Catholic healthcare plan run by OSF Health, part of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.
Giving federal workers more healthcare options, religiously informed or not, is a great idea - but there is one big caveat I attach. Including faith-based healthcare options as a federal benefit should not be a stalking horse for eliminating or reducing coverage options for contraceptives, abortion (which is already restricted), sterilization and artificial insemination. This plan is also an example of a health savings account with high-deductibles that the president has been pushing. While some people might benefit from this type of less expensive coverage, health savings accounts tend to benefit the wealthiest most - and this plan should not replace more traditional, and comprehensive health coverage for most workers. More options is a great idea, an option designed to reduce other options is not. We’ll see what the president has in mind for federal workers.
Comments 1
This has been an issue that I have always debated. I am a catholic - who admittedly takes issue with my churches stance on contraception and on the politics (but not the ethics, mind you) of abortion. It especially affects me because the issue that changed me from a conservative to a progressive lo those many years ago was national health care.
In many ways I think that allowing more restrictive plans for ethical reasons is good for the system. I would, if/when a national healthcare plan gets enacted like to see a situation where catholics and others who oppose abortion could make the choice to join a specific healthcare plan that did not pay for those things. If, not I could see us fighting to keep national healthcare for generations to come solely because people had ethical problems with the healthcare choices they were paying for.
Posted 25 Sep 2004 at 12:23 pm ¶Post a Comment