Who would’ve thought that contraception would become a
political lightning rod this election cycle? Rick Santorum and Rush Limbaugh strolled right into traps laid by allies of the Obama Administration, and
unwittingly helped the President redirect the real argument about religious
liberty (one that the Administration was losing) into a straw man argument about
women’s health. Well-strategized by the left; misplayed by the right. For what
it’s worth, here’s my take on what should be the conservative argument
on the subject:
Conservatives are not objecting to the use of contraception, but
rather the coverage stipulated for it in Obamacare, especially as it concerns religious organizations. The primary issue is one of
religious liberty. If a religious organization conscientiously objects to certain
services then what right does the government (or anyone) have to force them to
pay for them? How would the reaction be if the government were forcing all
employers to provide free pork chop dinners? Would mosques and Islamic
organizations be wrong for objecting? Would Jewish organizations not be
justified in objecting to a mandate to require employees to work on Saturdays?
No-one is trying to deny access to contraceptives for employees of Catholic-run organizations, only to their
coverage by employer-subsidized health insurance. Let the market work. If a Catholic-run hospital doesn't want
to cover contraceptive services as part of the health insurance policies they
provide for their employees, they have the right to make that choice. If the
issue is so important to workers, then other hospitals not affiliated with Catholic organizations
would have a competitive advantage in attracting employees.
Beyond the primary issue of religious-liberty are broader questions of proper scope of insurance and personal responsibility. Insurance provides a safety net to help deal with unforeseen
events. We buy homeowners insurance hoping that we'll never need to use it, but
resting assured that if disaster strikes we'll have some help to rebuild. I
don't submit claims every time I buy filters for my furnace, repair my roof, or
pay an exterminator to keep termites away. I can ignore these maintenance and
preventive services and deal with consequences later, or I can accept these
responsibilities that come with homeownership.
Most health insurance policies
have expanded well beyond catastrophic coverage, so we have become accustomed to
more maintenance health services having some level of coverage, e.g. subsidizing costs of sick visits, prescriptions, etc. But where does
one draw the line? If contraceptives should be free, why not toothpaste and
dental floss? What next, toilet paper and soap? We don't expect anyone else to pick up the tab for these personal care items. We buy them and use them because we are responsible and want to take good care of our bodies. Why should it be any different for contraceptives?
