Catholic Hospitals Support Health Care Bill

[Nikki Stone1]

http://www.ketv.com/health/22831396/detail.html

Catholic Hospitals Support Health Care Bill


WASHINGTON -- A group representing Catholic hospitals Saturday rallied behind President Barack Obama's health care bill ahead of a House vote in which anti-abortion lawmakers could play a decisive role.

The chief executive of the Catholic Health Association, Carol Keehan, wrote on the group's Web site that although the legislation isn't perfect, it represents a "major first step" toward covering all Americans and would make "great improvements" for millions of people. The more than 600 Catholic hospitals across the country do not provide abortions as a matter of conscience.

The association's support widens a split among abortion foes on whether the bill goes far enough to prevent taxpayer funding for the procedure. House Democratic leaders are trying to turn that debate to their advantage as they press for a vote on Obama's bill as early as this coming week. Winning over even a handful of anti-abortion Democrats could help Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., find a clear path to the 216 votes she needs for passage.

Major anti-abortion groups, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Right to Life Committee, are adamantly opposed to the legislation, preferring stricter restrictions passed last November by the House.

Keehan said in an interview that she believes the approach now in the bill would work just as well to keep federal dollars from being used to pay for abortion.

ALSO

http://www.statesman.com/news/nation/catholic-hospitals-support-health-care-bill-352653.html?cxtype=ynews_rss

....But Keehan said she thinks the approach in the current bill would work just as well to keep federal dollars from being used to pay for abortion.

"On the moral issue of abortion, there is no disagreement," Keehan said. "On the technical issue of whether this bill prevents federal funding of abortions, we differ with (the) Right to Life" committee.

The current legislation would let private insurance plans operating in a new insurance marketplace cover abortions, provided they don't use taxpayer funds. What makes that tricky is that many of the plans' customers would be receiving federal subsidies to help pay their premiums. So the legislation requires plans offering abortion coverage to collect a separate premium from policyholders. Those separate checks would have to be kept in a different account from money for other health care services.



ALSO

http://www.indianagazette.com/articles/2010/03/14/news/10037500.txt

[Nikki Stone1]

1. Thnx.

.

[ProSense]

2. Excellent.

Of course a hospital group would support this bill. These group:

Major anti-abortion groups, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Right to Life Committee, are adamantly opposed to the legislation, preferring stricter restrictions passed last November by the House.

...not so much.

[Nikki Stone1]

4. Thank you for kicking my post.

I appreciate it. :)

[Deep13]

3. So actual docs and nurses support; medieval theocrats oppose.

gotcha

[Nikki Stone1]

5. Thank you for kicking my post.

I appreciate it. :)

[Deep13]

6. I'll take help anywhere we can get it.

:hi:

[saracat]

8. And no matter what we have to compromise. That says a lot.

Qui Bono.

[Deep13]

9. Don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say that.

I meant that dispite my low regard for the R.C. Church, I am perfectly willing to concede they are right when they are right and will not stand on stubborn pride by refusing their support.

And by qui bono, I assume you mean to whose benefit is the HRC bill. It is a serious restriction on HC business practices and while flawed to say the least, it is far better than the status quo. Anyway, I wasn't talking about the bill itself, only the fact that Catholic hospitals are supporting it even if the Cath. leadership isn't.

[saracat]

11. I meant the Bill benefits hospitals and I don't appreciate "help" from any source.

I also don't appreciate "help" from Big Pharma, but whatever. You are entitled to your opinion. I don't concede that they are right. I think they are self serving.

[RainDog]

7. the hospitals get to keep their funding with the house version or senate version

as long as the anti-woman faction gets their concessions to hurt poor women for the sake of religious hypocrites.

it's like watching a good cop/bad cop moment.

so a religion gets to dictate to women what their health choices may be.

win win all around!

[Deep13]

10. My understanding is that abortion policy remains status quo.

Am I misinformed on that? Did Stupack manage to get his idiotic amendment in?

[RainDog]

12. from the article

Keehan said in an interview that she believes the approach now in the bill would work just as well to keep federal dollars from being used to pay for abortion.

[waiting for hope]

13. K&R

[ChicagoSuz219]

14. If they can get behind it...

...maybe the Stupid 12 can, too.

[laughingliberal]

15. Two things this tells me

At their heart the Catholic Hospital Corporations are still corporations and the HCR bill benefits them by keeping out the PO.

And there is enough damage to choice for them to give their seal of approval.

[freddie mertz]

16. K & R. This is a fascinating and revealing aspect of the "never ending story"...

Of how the dream of national healthcare became the nightmare of mandated corporate enrichment at middle-class citizen's expense.