Michigan bans in-state insurers from covering abortion

[Rapunzel]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/12/michigan-bans-state-insurers-covering-abortion/#.UqqDQwrqVV0.twitter

Michigan bans in-state insurers from covering abortion
By Cheryl K. Chumley

The Washington Times

Thursday, December 12, 2013

   

Michigan state Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, the state Senate's Democratic minority leader, cited her own rape in criticizing the Republican-controlled Legislature's final approval on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013, of a bill that bans commercial insurance policies from covering abortions unless a woman buys a separate rider to include abortion services. (AP Photo/Michigan Legislature)

Michigan lawmakers passed a ban on all insurance companies in the state from paying for abortions for women unless the life of the mother is in danger and unless they’ve purchased a special rider for the coverage.

The law takes effect in March, The Huffington Post reported.

It’s called the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act, and supporters cheer it because they say it keeps those against the procedure from paying for it. Opponents call it the “rape insurance” measure, however, saying it would leave out those women who’ve been impregnated by a rapist from obtaining the procedure if they didn’t buy the rider before the crime occurred.

“This tells women who were raped … that they should have thought ahead and planned for it,” said state Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer in The Huffington Post. “Make no mistake, this is anything but a citizens’ initiative. It’s a special interest group’s perverted dream come true.”

The Legislature passed the bill in 2012, but it was delayed by Gov. Rick Snyder’s veto. The governor said at the time he didn’t “believe it appropriate to tell a woman who becomes pregnant due to a rape that she needed to select elective insurance coverage,” The Huffington Post said.

But the Right to Life of Michigan subsequently collected more than 300,000 signatures, and according to state law, that was enough support to force a second vote and enter the measure into law absent the governor’s support.

[Rapunzel]

Michigan seems to be turning more red with Detroit gutted.

[Oceander]

The simple solution to the rape objection is to have the provision not apply to coverage for emergency medical problems such as those flowing as the result of being a crime victim.  Since being a rape victim is not a matter of voluntary choice, there are no issues with elective abortions if that sort of coverage is excepted.

[EC]

The simple solution to the rape objection is to have the provision not apply to coverage for emergency medical problems such as those flowing as the result of being a crime victim.  Since being a rape victim is not a matter of voluntary choice, there are no issues with elective abortions if that sort of coverage is excepted.

An alternative possibility: Woman reports a rape, the rape kit gets used and a plan B is offered to her immediately, by the paramedic doing the swab.

[Oceander]

An alternative possibility: Woman reports a rape, the rape kit gets used and a plan B is offered to her immediately, by the paramedic doing the swab.

But people shouldn't have to count on other people breaking the rules to make sure that something like this is taken care of properly.

[truth_seeker]

Akins, Angle, Buck, Mourdock and O'Donnell all favored making it illegal for abortions EVEN in the case of rape. All 5 lost. (All Tea Party) Cuccinelli too.

A recent Gallup poll had 75% to 22% supporting abortions being legal for rape victims.

And you wonder how the GOP gets labeled anti-woman? Extremist? Duh!!

[EC]

But people shouldn't have to count on other people breaking the rules to make sure that something like this is taken care of properly.

True - but my way would have one important benefit. It would de-stigmatize rape reporting. That is already shamefully low.

[Oceander]

Akins, Angle, Buck, Mourdock and O'Donnell all favored making it illegal for abortions EVEN in the case of rape. All 5 lost. (All Tea Party) Cuccinelli too.

A recent Gallup poll had 75% to 22% supporting abortions being legal for rape victims.

And you wonder how the GOP gets labeled anti-woman? Extremist? Duh!!

unfortunately

[Rapunzel]

Akins, Angle, Buck, Mourdock and O'Donnell all favored making it illegal for abortions EVEN in the case of rape. All 5 lost. (All Tea Party) Cuccinelli too.

A recent Gallup poll had 75% to 22% supporting abortions being legal for rape victims.

And you wonder how the GOP gets labeled anti-woman? Extremist? Duh!!

Helps to keep up with events - I guess you missed this article this week from campaigns and elections magazine - the analysis done about the VA race by EXPERTS....

http://www.campaignsandelections.com/magazine/us-edition/428067/vaccines-vs-leeches.thtml

snip......
Virginia’s 2013 gubernatorial election was much closer than anyone, with the possible exception of Terry McAuliffe’s data team, expected. Rather than the 7-point drubbing the poll averages suggested, it came down to about 55,000 votes out of more than 2 million cast, a 2.5 percent margin.

snip.......

In Virginia, many have argued the Obamacare debacle helped close the gap in the final weeks of the gubernatorial election, and that with more time and money to get Cuccinelli’s message out on that front, he might have won. But this is pure speculation.

Correlation doesn’t prove causation, and what we have here is a correlation between the media’s focus on problems with Obamcare and an unexpectedly close result in the gubernatorial election. Absent experimental data, we can’t say whether these events impacted the race or whether messaging tied to it would have shifted more votes toward Cuccinelli.

Evolving Strategies and the Middle Resolution PAC conducted experimental research that suggests an aggressive attack on McAuliffe for supporting ObamaCare was ineffective at best and counter-productive at worst. An attack on McAuliffe’s business record possibly helped, but was anemic.

What moved the voters most was an attack on McAuliffe’s positions on abortion; a single phone message emphasizing McAuliffe’s support for unrestricted, late-term, and taxpayer-funded abortions shifted support a net 13 to 15 points away from McAuliffe and toward Cuccinelli. The cost per vote here was a remarkably cheap $0.50 per additional vote, and even less expensive still when targeting the most persuadable segment of the electorate.

A topic declared radioactive by nearly everyone, locked away in secure storage behind a blazing Hazmat warning by the Cuccinelli campaign, appears to have been a powerful weapon for the Republican ticket that could have substantially closed the gap, and possibly even won Cuccinelli the election.

[LambChop]

This is exactly the type of thing that makes us look like hypocrites.  We want less government, except.......  We don't want to be forced to purchase insurance, except............

Wonder how long the obamacare advocates take to throw THIS one in our faces.  UGH!!!

[truth_seeker]

Helps to keep up with events - I guess you missed this article this week from campaigns and elections magazine - the analysis done about the VA race by EXPERTS....

http://www.campaignsandelections.com/magazine/us-edition/428067/vaccines-vs-leeches.thtml

snip......
Virginia’s 2013 gubernatorial election was much closer than anyone, with the possible exception of Terry McAuliffe’s data team, expected. Rather than the 7-point drubbing the poll averages suggested, it came down to about 55,000 votes out of more than 2 million cast, a 2.5 percent margin.

snip.......

In Virginia, many have argued the Obamacare debacle helped close the gap in the final weeks of the gubernatorial election, and that with more time and money to get Cuccinelli’s message out on that front, he might have won. But this is pure speculation.

Correlation doesn’t prove causation, and what we have here is a correlation between the media’s focus on problems with Obamcare and an unexpectedly close result in the gubernatorial election. Absent experimental data, we can’t say whether these events impacted the race or whether messaging tied to it would have shifted more votes toward Cuccinelli.

Evolving Strategies and the Middle Resolution PAC conducted experimental research that suggests an aggressive attack on McAuliffe for supporting ObamaCare was ineffective at best and counter-productive at worst. An attack on McAuliffe’s business record possibly helped, but was anemic.

What moved the voters most was an attack on McAuliffe’s positions on abortion; a single phone message emphasizing McAuliffe’s support for unrestricted, late-term, and taxpayer-funded abortions shifted support a net 13 to 15 points away from McAuliffe and toward Cuccinelli. The cost per vote here was a remarkably cheap $0.50 per additional vote, and even less expensive still when targeting the most persuadable segment of the electorate.

A topic declared radioactive by nearly everyone, locked away in secure storage behind a blazing Hazmat warning by the Cuccinelli campaign, appears to have been a powerful weapon for the Republican ticket that could have substantially closed the gap, and possibly even won Cuccinelli the election.

You clearly have a future career, as the denial spinmeister for losing campaigns and losing candidates.

Did you read that Americans polled by Gallup favor legal abortion in cases of rape, by 77% to 22%?

[Rapunzel]

You clearly have a future career, as the denial spinmeister for losing campaigns and losing candidates.

Did you read that Americans polled by Gallup favor legal abortion in cases of rape, by 77% to 22%?

The percentage of abortions due to rape is minuscule.. facts are facts.. the one issue the brought Ken so close after being way behind was abortion.

Just curious, why are you so gung ho on killing babies?

[EC]

The percentage of abortions due to rape is minuscule.. facts are facts.. the one issue the brought Ken so close after being way behind was abortion.

Just curious, why are you so gung ho on killing babies?

And a half ounce of Sarin will kill a 250 lb man in 10 minutes.

Miniscule does not mean ignorable. The number of abortions due to rape per year is roughly equal to the number of murders with baseball bats per year. Shall we ignore them too, considering they are a miniscule fraction of deaths?

Like I said up thread. Report the rape, get a dose of plan B as a precautionary measure. Costs virtually nothing, destigmatizes rape reporting, stops the crap of someone having consensual sex then reporting it as rape when they find out they are pregnant. Everyone wins.

[Rapunzel]

And a half ounce of Sarin will kill a 250 lb man in 10 minutes.

Miniscule does not mean ignorable. The number of abortions due to rape per year is roughly equal to the number of murders with baseball bats per year. Shall we ignore them too, considering they are a miniscule fraction of deaths?

Like I said up thread. Report the rape, get a dose of plan B as a precautionary measure. Costs virtually nothing, destigmatizes rape reporting, stops the crap of someone having consensual sex then reporting it as rape when they find out they are pregnant. Everyone wins.

Plan B doesn't work on fat people - remember?  and we are a society of fat and fatter people.

[EC]

I could tease - but I won't. It's a serious subject. I have zero tolerance for rape or rapists. I would ideally like to see them dead or castrated. Prison is the distant third choice.

Plan B can work on heftier people. As we said before it's the "over the counter" dosage that is the problem. A paramedic (or doctor) could give the correct dosage after doing the rape kit and there would not be a problem.