Birth Control (Ha!) and Hobby Lobby

I very rarely get into hot button topics on my blog, but after the Supreme Court's decision yesterday, and all the subsequent news articles posted on Facebook, I have had enough.  Our country is going down the drain, because instead of doing a bit of education & research for ourselves, people want to blindly follow very BIASED news outlets such as the Huffington Post {and} CNN.  Women on several PCOS boards I follow are in a mass panic thinking that their employers are no longer going to cover birth control.  That's simply {NOT} the case.

Before I tear apart every single claim made by several media sources, I want to start by saying that a couple of PRIVATELY owned companies (Hobby Lobby, Mardel, and Conestoga Wood Services) sued the Department of Health & Human Services.  Why?  Well, let me try to explain.  There are currently {TWENTY} contraceptives that have gone through all the FDA testing.  Four of those contraceptives are considered abortifacient(s).  The lawsuit was brought forth into our court systems, because the plaintiffs (Hobby Lobby et al) believe that life begins at conception and that it would violate their religion to facilitate access to contraceptive drugs or devices that operate after that point (Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.)

If you would like to check up on my fact(s), I'll post links for you to research for yourself.

Here's the link to the Supreme Court decision - (http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/13-354_olp1.pdf)

But, for argument sake, let's take religion out of the equation, because in my humble opinion, this is about so much more than religion.

Health insurance is {NOT} one of the unalienable rights.  

First of all, medical insurance coverage by an employer is a {benefit} of being an employee.  Let me just say this - it is NOT a right!  With the Affordable Healthcare Act (AHA) mandate that requires employers with more than 50 employees to provide health insurance or pay a fine, it's cheaper for employers to pay the fine. The fine per employee per year is $2,000 (http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-employer-mandate.php).  If you believe that your employer's portion of insurance for YOU only is less than $2,000 per year, you might ask to see the insurance bill. That's only $167 per month.  And guess what?  Your employer doesn't have to pay any premiums/penalties for not covering your family.  

So recognize the fact that any employer has the option to deny health insurance to their employees & simply pay the penalty.

If your employer does this, guess what?  You officially get to purchase your health insurance through the marketplace.  

But Hobby Lobby successfully argued that the penalties would be a substantial burden to their organization.  The company 

As an employee, you have the {RIGHT} to choose where you want to work.  As a consumer, you have the RIGHT to choose where you want to shop.

This is simple to understand.  We live in a democracy that allows us as American citizens to pick and choose where we are employed, and where we spend our money.  You don't see me giving my hard earned dollars to the abortion clinics down the street.  So why would anyone assume that Hobby Lobby employees are FORCED to work there?  They aren't.  

More so, if you don't like a place of business, you do not have to give them a single penny.  The local strip club has received ZERO dollars from me.  Why is that you ask?!  Because I don't visit their establishment.  I'm not forced to do so.  I can choose, on my own free will, to stay away from their place of business.

It's really simple math.

The latest labor statistic's show that the civilian work force is 155,000,000 people. This data is as of June 6th, 2014 (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf).  Over 1/3 of the employed individuals are on a grandfathered plan, meaning that their employer sponsored healthcare options are not required to comply with the contraceptive mandate.  That leaves approximately 104,000,000 remaining.  Of that 104,000,000 - 34,000,000 work for an employer with less than 50 employees.  These employers are also not required to provide insurance or comply with the contraceptive mandate.  There's a remaining 70,000,000 employees affected.  The workforce is made up of approximately 49.4% women.  That means that 34,580,000 women are affected by the contraceptive mandate.  It's 22% of the population.  And, 22% of the population assumes that EVERY SINGLE WORKING FEMALE is of the age to require birth control.  We all know that's not the case. 

How are Plan B and an IUD essential to women's health? 

I'm 31 years old.  I have a disease that some people say the only way to treat effectively is birth control.  (I have to disagree with that statement, because I've done my research about PCOS.  But that's neither here nor there.)  I have NEVER in 31 years needed Plan B or an IUD to be "healthy."  However, if I needed Plan B, I can pick it up at my local WalMart for a whopping $30.  The highest place I found online to pick up Plan B is $65.  An IUD is only ONE form of birth control.  There are many others.  If that's the ONLY option you have for birth control because of some other underlying issue, then insurance will still pay for the IUD, with specific coding on your insurance paperwork at the doctor's office. 

I have yet to figure out how this is a "war against women" and how this particular ruling will "destroy women's health."  I've asked several people who have very strong opinions about this issue, but I have yet to get an answer backed by actual fact(s) that can be researched.  An unfounded opinion based on emotions is NOT enough for me to effectively research.  

Apparently, you are to forfeit all beliefs when you become a corporation.

Say what?!  Why?!  This country was founded on principles that allowed men and women of all walks of life to create a business, and see that business prosper.  There is a {HUGE} difference between a publicly trade company with external stockholders, and a company where all the stockholders are a small group of individuals, in this case a family.  Back to my original statement, if you don't like how they operate, DO BUSINESS ELSEWHERE!  But at some point, if you allow the government to make demands on businesses that override the business' core values, where is the end?  Will it next be mandated that women have to wear skirts to work?  People are worried that this opens the door for insurances not to provide coverage on cancer treatments, etc. but they don't think about the possibility of there being even MORE big government decisions.  This goes both ways, you know?!

There's already an existing program for religious groups.

Since it's clearly a MAJOR issue that women aren't allowed {FREE} access to Plan B & IUDs, there's a program in place for religious non-profit organizations, such as churches.  These programs provide that individuals that are employed by these organizations have access to the same FDA approved contraceptives.   

Now, if that's the case - why did this have to even be an issue?  If this program already exists, and a number of profit organizations are stating their beliefs don't align with these {FOUR} contraceptives, why couldn't the program have just been extended to employees of those companies as well?  The Health & Human Services group could provide no reason to the Supreme Court why the program couldn't be extended to include others as well.  

The Supreme Court has stated that this ruling does NOT allow for these entities to use their religious affiliates to get out of tax savings programs.

Let's not forget... SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.

In the court ruling, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito states that "It is not for the courts to say whether the religious beliefs of the plaintiffs are are mistaken or unreasonable."  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!  It is NOT YOUR PLACE to determine whether my beliefs are flawed.  They are MY BELIEFS!  I don't come to your house toting my cross, and force you to be a believer.  I'll discuss God with you, I'll live my life in a way that is Christian like, but I will not, under any circumstances, FORCE you to believe.  That is up to you.  

Furthermore, the government is the one that decided to blur the lines of separation of church and state.  Hobby Lobby et al. simply wanted to be able to have the freedom to not be told what they should care about.  They wanted the freedom not to be compelled to believe what the government believes.

In closing...

I will forever be baffled by individuals who spew {HATRED} to the opposing view.  I see it from "friends" on my Facebook feed, who talk negatively about {ALL} Christians & conservatives.  I'm both.  And I'm damn proud of it.  Just like my liberal friends don't want to be grouped with the radical liberals, I'd prefer that they don't post overwhelming hateful comments about Christians/conservatives.  I am NOT hateful towards people who my life who don't see eye to eye with me on political ideals, because we are all entitled to our opinions.  But you see, my opinions are based on FACTUAL evidence.  I'm waiting... and extremely willing to listen to what ever anyone has to say on the topic.  In fact, I welcome it, because in the process, you might teach me something I didn't already know.

But so help me God, if you bring the name calling, childish bullshit my way, I will remove you from my life faster than you entered it.  I'm not wired that way.  I respect your opinion and you {WILL} respect mine.