Supreme Court Just Limited Your Right To Birth Control

The Supreme Court just made a historic decision. It ruled that women can be denied a necessary health service -- contraception, which is normally paid for by their company health insurance. To put this in perspective, men as an entire sex have NEVER been denied a medical necessity! Do you believe that the cost of birth control should be covered by your company health insurance, just like other medications? If so, you're going to be disappointed and possibly angry that the Supreme Court just ruled in a 5-4 decision -- with all of the female justices dissenting -- that some corporations don't have to pay for your birth control coverage, if their owners have religious objections.

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July 1, 2014 7:54PM EDT
Supreme Court Birth Control
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Hillary Clinton speaks about Reproductive Justice at Barnard College in New York. Reproductive Justice Agenda, New York, USA - 07 Jan 2019
Hillary Rodham Clinton (R) and US director Nanette Burstein (L) pose during the 'Hillary' photocall during the 70th annual Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), in Berlin, Germany, 25 February 2020. The movie is presented in the Berlinale Special section at the Berlinale that runs from 20 February to 01 March 2020. Hillary - Photocall - 70th Berlin Film Festival, Germany - 25 Feb 2020
Hillary Rodham Clinton (R) and US director Nanette Burstein (L) pose during the 'Hillary' photocall during the 70th annual Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), in Berlin, Germany, 25 February 2020. The movie is presented in the Berlinale Special section at the Berlinale that runs from 20 February to 01 March 2020. Hillary - Photocall - 70th Berlin Film Festival, Germany - 25 Feb 2020
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Supreme Court On Birth Control: Decision Just Limited The Right To Contraception

That’s right — certain companies called “closely held” corporations, in which the majority of stock is owned by not more than five people, are allowed to follow their owners’ religious objections to birth control, and NOT pay for their female employees’ birth control.

Now, guess what — 90 percent of the companies in America fall into this category, so lots of you could be affected. This Supreme Court ruling means that if your company leaders believe that certain types of birth control, like the IUD, can cause very early embryos to stop implanting in your uterus, and that’s against their religious beliefs, then they can refuse to pay for them.

In other words, top bosses can impose THEIR religious beliefs on you, in a very critical way! Interesting that religious beliefs never seem to affect the reproductive or sexual health of men. The Supreme Court has never had to grapple with the issue of men’s insurance coverage of Viagra or vasectomies. Hmm! Aren’t vasectomies a major form of birth control?

Many believe this decision amounts to discrimination against all women as a sex.

“The exemption … would deny legions of women who do not hold their employers’ religious beliefs access to contraceptive coverage,” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg wrote in her dissenting opinion.

Let’s just keep in mind that the U.S. Constitution is based on the separation of church and state — bosses’ religious beliefs are not supposed to be imposed upon their employees.

Furthermore, this decision — which may affect you in a very immediate, monthly, and personal way — could also open the door to corporations deciding that they don’t want to cover any number of medical procedures or medications for their employees because of the owners’ religious beliefs.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the Supreme Court decision “a really bad slippery slope.”

Denying Contraception For Women Could Lead To Denial Of More Medical Needs

What if your company decides that it doesn’t want to cover blood transfusions, AIDS drugs, or vaccinations for its employees, including you and your family, for religious reasons? And yes, there are religious groups that object to all of these things!

The door has now been opened to any and all companies that want to go to court to argue that they shouldn’t have to cover you for any and all of those medications and procedures! Scary, isn’t it? And we JUST got expanded health insurance for all through Obamacare.

Now, here’s what a whole bunch of celebrities have to say about the Supreme Court’s decision on birth control:

Seth MacFarlane:

Lena Dunham: “Women’s access to birth control should not be denied because of their employer’s religious beliefs.

James Van Der Beek: “If it’s goal is fewer abortions, I’m not sure limiting women’s contraception options but still covering Viagra is the best plan.”

Nancy Pelosi: “Allowing CEO’s to limit the medical procedures available to employees is a gross violation of workers’ religious rights.”

Seth Rogen: “People love defending people’s rights to deprive other people of their rights.”

John Legend: “I’m amazed that we’re debating women’s access to CONTRACEPTION in 2014. Insurance is part of the employee’s compensation, so there’s basically a woman tax if you work for corporations with religious owners.”

Planned Parenthood:

Ian Somerhalder:

Now, HollywoodLifers, what do YOU think? Should your company have the right to impose its religious beliefs about birth control on you? Let me know!

— Bonnie Fuller

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