Insurance Company Fined Over $1 Million for Covering Missourians’ Abortions and Contraceptives

[spotbird]

Source: Jezebel

"This settlement should be a reminder to all health benefit plans covering Missourians, that state law has stringent requirements honoring the religious and moral beliefs of insurance customers," department director John M. Huff said in a statement. "We will be enforcing Missouri's decade-old contraception coverage law, as well as the new law on the subject, anywhere we see violations."

Sam Lee, head of anti-abortion group Campaign Life Missouri, jumped on the bandwagon, calling the settlement "a wakeup call for Missouri health-insurance companies" that "are being put on notice that the moral concerns of Missouri citizens must take precedence over the standard operating procedure of the insurance industry."

Read more: http://jezebel.com/roe-v-world/

[lastlib]

1. All I can say is:

. .

[caveat_imperator]

2. Wait...

If these particular customers asked for insurance to cover these health benefits then wouldn't that mean these customers' religious and moral beliefs had no problem with the coverage? Which would mean the law had not been broken in their particular cases?

[McCamy Taylor]

3. WTF? How can a state prevent its citizens from buying insurance to cover legal medical procedures?

There ought to be some kind of federal law to stop this. Otherwise, states like Texas could make it illegal for people to buy energy efficient cars. Milk producing states could ban soy milk.

[McCamy Taylor]

5. Just one premature birth and NICU stay can cost the insurer a million.

Fines will not keep them from covering birth control.

[eggplant]

12. This.

It's way cheaper to smile and pay the fine.

[Posteritatis]

17. Pretty much, yeah.

I was premature in the States in the very early eighties and that came out to somewhere between a quarter and a third of a million. Add inflation and a whole lot of price gouging for its own sake since then...

[HockeyMom]

6. Do these religous people buy OTC pain medication,

say like Tylenol? Do they know that the manufacturers of these OTC meds, also make CONTRACEPTIVES, and that every time they buy an ASPIRIN they they also paying for them to make BIRTH CONTROL?????

Oh, and they can stop buying household products too because these are from the same corporations.

[MH1]

7. I'm really getting tired of religious interference in people's lives and businesses.

I mean really. How much more offensive can regulations be, than to say a business has to do things specially for one state because of RELIGION?

The other thing I don't get is the idea that employers couldn't opt out of contraceptive coverage. Don't they get to negotiate contracts? It's real simple to opt out. DON'T CARRY THAT INSURANCE PLAN FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES. Or is there another law in the State of Misery that an employer has to offer the plans of any insurer that wants it to?



We need to dissociate health insurance from employment. Like yesterday.

[benld74]

8. Another effed up GOP bill for MO,,,

I guess there isn't any type leeway for companies that offer it in MO. But wait, its free money to MO, since they always bitch about not being able to get jobs to come into the state. Wonder how long Aetna pulls all of its agents out of the state?,,,,,

[niyad]

9. I am sick to death (possible pun intended) of these assholes' "oh so tender religious sensitivities

interfering with MY health and well-being.

[blur256]

10. What about my moral concerns

that religious whack job right-wing fucktards are ruining my state and making the rest of us look like 1850's backwoods hillbillies? Can I fine them?

[progressivebydesign]

11. WTF??? All insurers should pull out of Missouri, that State is the American Taliban. nt

[Shitty Mitty]

13. Glad I don't live in Missouri

Like another poster said, what about MY "moral belief" that religious whackjobs stay the fuck out of my womb?

[davidn3600]

15. The way they see it...

The far-right thinks "freedom of religion" means that the government can't interfere with their social fascism.

That's how nutty conservatives interpret that phrase.

[Skittles]

14. assholes

what about the right of people to be free from religious nuttery???

[DallasNE]

16. Opt Out Already Exists -- Just Don't Use The Service -- Problem Solved

Besides, why wouldn't this ruling violate the Establishment Clause in the 1st Amendment.

[JoeyT]

19. I was wondering that too.

Although given the right wing supreme court we've got, I wouldn't bet on a win. :/

[PossumSqueezins]

18. Where is the moral outrage to covering Viagra?

...just sayin'.

[oldsarge54]

20. The Republican Battle cry

The rights of employers and their beliefs shall not be infringed, and the employees shall have no rights.

[sinkingfeeling]

21. Maybe Missouri will find themselves without health-insurance providers.