Senate Passes Women’s Health Amendment

[spanone]

Breaking a three-day stalemate, the Senate approved an amendment to its health care legislation that would require insurance companies to provide free mammograms and other preventive services for women.

The vote was 61 to 39, with three Republicans joining 56 Democrats and the two independents in favor.

The Republican senators voting in favor were the two women from Maine, Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins, and Senator David Vitter of Louisiana. Among Democrats, Senators Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Ben Nelson of Nebraska opposed the proposal.

The Democrats’ legislation had already contained requirements that insurers provide free preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies. The amendment, put forward by Senator Barbara Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, goes further, mandating a broader package of preventive care for women.

The vote on Ms. Mikulski’s amendment broke an impasse between Democrats and Republicans over when to begin voting on amendments to the health care legislation. Debate on the health care bill began on Monday afternoon, but no vote was taken until the roll call on Ms. Mikulski’s proposal at about noon Thursday.

http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/senate-passes-womens-health-amendment/?pagemode=print

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Thanks. Let's see how the repukes can screw this up.

[Inuca]

2. Vitter?!?!

And what on earth is going on with Feingold?

[spanone]

3. odd, eh?

[krispos42]

4. Yeah, Vitter

I guess he wants healthy breasts. For, yanno, when he's playing "nursing infant" with a hooker.

[kctim]

5. Free?

um, ok.
LOL!!!

[beyond cynical]

6. What about the Men...?

[Lance_Boyle]

7. 'Die quickly' n/t

[fascisthunter]

10. if you feel this is unfair

do something about it.

[redqueen]

13. Which services for men are missing? (nt)

[beyond cynical]

16. Mammograms for one...

[spanone]

17. male mammograms are a very small percentage of the procedure, i know i had one

[Hekate]

15. Please do the research and let us know what's missing for men. Meanwhile your mother thanks you. nt

[Myrina]

18. Your Viagra and Cialis is still covered. You're welcome.

:P

[Robyn66]

8. I'm afraid!

Is this actually something I can be happy about? :scared: I'm not used to hearing anything good EVER! :shrug:

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. +1

[Rosa Luxemburg]

9. Good

[spanone]

11. yes, this is good.

[Hekate]

14. Many thanks to Snowe, Collins, ... and Vitter?! And wtf is the matter with Feingold & Nelson?

Big step forward anyway.

Hekate

[Rosa Luxemburg]

19. did Feingold give his reasons?

[spanone]

20. cost.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

21. COST!!!!!! when we can spend billions on war?

that is pathetic!

[spanone]

22. yep

Mr. Feingold, in a statement, said he voted against Ms. Mikulski’s proposal because of the projected cost of $940 million over 10 years.

“I am disappointed that the Senate health care debate has gotten off on the wrong foot,” he said. “The first amendment voted on would add almost a billion dollars to our budget deficits over the next 10 years. We should make sure health plans cover women’s preventive care and screenings, but we should also find a way to pay for it, rather than adding that cost to the already mountainous public debt.”

[Rosa Luxemburg]

23. so women don't matter?

if we have preventative medicine then the costs in the long run go down!!!!!
:banghead: