Hobby Lobby wants to cherry pick insurance coverage

[Luddly Neddite]

Hobby Lobby faces millions in fines for bucking Obamacare – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs

Washington (CNN)– Craft store giant Hobby Lobby is bracing for a $1.3 million a day fine beginning January 1 for noncompliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare.

The company opposes providing some contraceptives to employees through its company health care plan on religious grounds, saying some contraceptive products, like the morning after pill, equate to abortion.

Should your employer have the authority/power to decide what your insurance will cover and what it won't?

Your insurance coverage is part of your salary and what is covered has always been decided by the insurance company. Contraception has always been covered by comprehensive insurance but now, suddenly, some companies want to control what your insurance covers.

How much say should your employer have over your insurance coverage?

What if I, as your employer, believe you contribute to your ill health by smoking, eating junk. You're diabetic, have breathing issues and suffer from erectile dysfunction. Should I have the authority to curtail your insurance coverage because you caused your own problems? Should I have the authority to disallow coverage for insulin, Viagra and other treatments?

Or, let's say you are into extreme sports and suffer more injuries than average. I don't think you should put yourself in harm's way because you take more time off because of your injuries. Or I don't like that you ride a motorcycle because, imo, its too dangerous. Should I have the authority to control what your insurance covers?

 

[TNHarley]

Hell, dont everyone want to "cherry-pick" that BS?

 

[dblack]

Hobby Lobby faces millions in fines for bucking Obamacare – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs

Washington (CNN)– Craft store giant Hobby Lobby is bracing for a $1.3 million a day fine beginning January 1 for noncompliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare.

The company opposes providing some contraceptives to employees through its company health care plan on religious grounds, saying some contraceptive products, like the morning after pill, equate to abortion.

Should your employer have the authority/power to decide what your insurance will cover and what it won't?

Your insurance coverage is part of your salary and what is covered has always been decided by the insurance company. Contraception has always been covered by comprehensive insurance but now, suddenly, some companies want to control what your insurance covers.

How much say should your employer have over your insurance coverage?

What if I, as your employer, believe you contribute to your ill health by smoking, eating junk. You're diabetic, have breathing issues and suffer from erectile dysfunction. Should I have the authority to curtail your insurance coverage because you caused your own problems? Should I have the authority to disallow coverage for insulin, Viagra and other treatments?

Or, let's say you are into extreme sports and suffer more injuries than average. I don't think you should put yourself in harm's way because you take more time off because of your injuries. Or I don't like that you ride a motorcycle because, imo, its too dangerous. Should I have the authority to control what your insurance covers?

I'd rather decide these issues myself, and pay for my own health care and whatever insurance I believe is necessary. i don't want to make matters worse by simply turning these decisions over to government. If my employer offers insurance I don't like, it's relatively easy to find another job. It's not quite so easy to find another government.

 

[Katzndogz]

If your employer has insurance you don't like, it's relatively easy to get a rider on the insurance policy that pays for what your employer doesn't. Such riders are cheap too. The problem with birth control is that the payment would have to exceed the cost of the product. That's why insurance doesn't pay for aspirin or vitamins. These items are so cheap (lke birth control is) that insurance would cost more than the product itself.

Or I don't like that you ride a motorcycle because, imo, its too dangerous. Should I have the authority to control what your insurance covers?

Actually you DO. If you provide the vehicle that the insurance covers you absolutely do have the authority to control whether it's a motorcycle or an SUV. Individuals so far have been unable to force employers to provide auto insurance, or fire insurance on homes for that matter.

 

[dblack]

This is a good thread. It really gets to the core of what PPACA, and related reform efforts are aiming at. The goal is to transfer control over our health care from employers to the state. I suspect this was the reason for pushing it onto employers in the first place - to line us up for the next step.

I agree with the general sentiment of the OP. Setting our employers up as the gatekeepers to our health care is really dumb idea. But instead of removing the tax and policy incentives that have create the health care employment 'benefit' as de facto standard, PPACA and related reform efforts double down on that bad plan, turning 'incentives' for employers to provide us with health insurance into mandates.