Women's health amendment provides for free birth control
The new law from health care department of Obama administration is making preventive medicine free for women with a definite focus on family planning. Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski has authored the bill. But, how the administration is going to implement this law is to be seen. Experts say "It ( The Obama Administration ) could allow insurance plans wide discretion on meeting the coverage requirement. A panel convened by the Institute of Medicine will hold its first meeting Nov. 16 to begin work on recommendations to HHS. The department has until next August to make its decision."
A panel of experts is set to meet and discuss the positive and negative implications of providing free birth control pills. Almost all insurance plans cover birth control measures.
Dr. David Grimes, family planning expert from University of North Carolina said that there is "clear and incontrovertible evidence that family planning saves lives and improves health”.
Contraception rivals immunization in dollars saved for every dollar invested. Spacing out children allows for optimal pregnancies and optimal child rearing. Contraception is a prototype of preventive medicine.
Catholic groups who oppose the use of pregnancy pills "don't consider it to be health care, but a lifestyle choice… We think there are other ways to avoid having children than by ingesting chemicals paid for by health insurance." The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops considers pregnancy "a healthy condition, not an illness," and is not supportive of this law.
Other religious groups will add themselves to the opposition if the debate continues. Alonso-Zaldivar, a journalist from the Associated Press said,- "So far, most other religious conservatives have stayed out of the debate, though that could change".