Just think, sales of ED drugs would go down, along with contraceptives, maternity services, and pediatrics. Then there would be fewer sales in toys, children’s gear and equipment, clothes, car seats. And all of those foods, cartoons, and commercials geared specifically to children. Eventually, the entertainment industry would feel the effects, too.

Hardly any area of the economy would be exempt. And they might all then band together and demand affordable health care, especially for women and children.

Any takers? I didn’t think so. ;~)

On the other hand, if you want to have a kid, you could, I suppose, join in with others who want to have kids and use your leverage as a group to drive down the price of having the kid. But that’s not something your insurance company should do.

I realize my views aren’t going to be popular, but I just think if we’re going to make health care affordable and not make doctors government employees (though I’d support that!) we’re going to have to realize what insurance is for, the unexpected, and pay out of pocket for everything else.

I’m the father of two daughters, the husband of their mother, and the child of a mother. So it isn’t as if only women suffer from discrimination against maternity. In most cases, fathers will be sharing the bill for excluded OB-GYN costs–or worse, risking the loss of their wives and children.

For that matter, the fact that women earn $0.75 per $1.00 of male earnings isn’t really a women’s issue either. Most spouses work. Mine does. Which means that, as a household, we make only $0.88 on the dollar. Moreover, lower wages for women and, particularly, for skilled, professional ”women’s jobs” that men often hold–like nursing–have the effect of suppressing wages for workers as a whole.

We’re all in this together. We can’t afford to let ourselves get fragmented into interest groups or sidelined by non-issues. That’s how lobbyists always beat the left in this country. The issue is economic inequality. Gender bias is only one of the many tired excuses for it, part of the smoke and mirrors. Let’s stay focused on the real issue.

You read that right. In 36 states, pregnancy is considered optional, even in those areas where abortion providers who haven’t been assassinated are more than a “short ride” away

The standard rejoinder to that is that having potentially procreative sex is optional. However considering 1) not having potentially procreative sex in a heterosexual marriage is grounds for divorce (loss of consortium), 2) sentences for marital rape are lighter, 3)most women get married and 4) have children, 5) it is considered almost compulsory to get married and have kids, 6)many women have health insurance through their spouse (or get married because of health insurance reasons), it’s stretching to call pregnancy “optional”.
Furthermore at a macro level, reproducing is not optional.

These are the companies our government is protecting, at our literal expense …

On another topic, I followed the John Lennon lyrics link; it was shocking and hilarious to see this ad pop up after a minute…

Only private insurance could create a situation this abominable and stupid.

The industry has some stupid number crunchers there.