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Religious Liberty in Health Care?
by Michael J. O'Dea
My paper has three purposes. First, to give you background on myself and how I got into the urgent issue of religious freedom in health care; second, to inform you of major issues driving pro-death
procedures in health care and third, to provide concrete solutions for transforming the health care culture to a "culture of life". Do you see what I see? Do you and your employer
participate in a health plan that pays for abortion? If you are-self employed or own your own company, is abortion included in your plan? If you are on Medicare or Medicaid, chances are the
Administrator of your plan owns and manages a health insurance plan that pays for abortion. If abortion isn't specifically excluded, or if your health plan only excludes "voluntary abortion", chances are you are
paying for abortion. Since "voluntary abortion" has no criteria, all a woman needs to get her abortion paid by her insurance company is to find a physician who says she needs an abortion, even for
mental duress.
A Family Committment
Before I get into details, it is important I tell you about myself and my family's commitment to reclaim the "right to life, and liberty" Republic if the United States of America. On the
evening I proposed to my wife, Peggy, I told her that there were two conditions we must agree to before she answered. My question was that we have at least ten children, and the second that they all be boys.
The reason for boys was that I was brought up with only boys, and I was scared to death of raising girls. Well, Peg was thrilled with the idea of ten children, but the all boys condition wasn't going to work.
God had a different plan for our marriage. Babies did not come. But, after five years of marriage, we were fortunate to adopt two children. In 1975, two years after the Row V.
Wade decision legalizing abortion, we applied for our third adoption and were told, there were not enough babies available. Married couples could adopt only two children.
Professionally my life was busy as a health care executive for a Fortune 500 company, owner of a medical diagnostic supply business, and a health care consultant. Soon after adopting our
third child, Peggy and I opened our home to our first pregnant mother. Then, a miraculous event occurred. After fourteen years of marriage, God blessed us with our first
biological daughter. She changed us forever.
To us this was God's way of saying thank you for doing my work. God hooked us and made us aware He is truly the Author of life. Jesus' word's to His apostles as they were argued
about who and what was most important came alive "He who welcomes my little children welcomes not only me, but my Father who sent me." The experience of sharing God's new
life in the womb motivated us to eventually open two crisis pregnancy centers. Shortly after they opened, God blessed us with our second biological child. Our original dream of having
ten children now looked real! Although we never reached the ten, God did sent us two more adoptive children.
How good the Lord has been to our marriage! His goodness gives us enthusiasm and commitment for His work. I provide this background to acknowledge God being the one responsible for
the good we have done for pregnant mothers and the prolife cause.
In 1987, when I was counseling a teenage mother at Mother and Unborn Baby Care (our pregnancy help center) I asked the mother of this pregnant teenager if her daughter was going to
have an abortion, because they lacked finances. The mother responded "Whether she has the baby or aborts it, my insurance with Blue Care Network will pay". Since I was also
insured by the same company, I no longer wanted to subsidize the killing of God's innocent children, so began my journey to change the health care culture.
Health Insurance – The Financial Fueler of Evil
Health insurance finances 17% of the country's Gross Domestic Product. In the wrong hands, it has a devastating effect. "Culture of death" advocates quietly and aggressively
continue to insert procedures into national and state health insurance programs, both in the private and public sectors, which are opposed to the teaching of the Catholic Church. A 1993Alan
Guttmacher Institute (AGI) survey noted at least 86% of typical plans in the private sector routinely cover tubal ligation and at least two-thirds cover abortion services. "Family planners"
said this is not enough, they want 100% coverage for abortion, sterilization and contraceptive services.
With the expansion of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) since 1993, the family planners get their wish. More and more employers expanded to HMOs and Point of Service
Networks (POS) providing coverage for abortion, sterilization and contraception. The same survey revealed the confidentiality of abortion services is "more important to reproductive
services than to other types of medical care". Guttmacher also reported 71% of HMOs allow confidential reproductive services for spouse and non spouse dependents 18 and over,
and 64% for nonspouse dependents under 18. The health care plan designers don't require a husband to know before they pay to abort his child. They don't want to allow mothers and fathers to
know a daughter is pregnant, but their health plan will pay to abort their grandchild.
Today, Planned Parenthood is (PP) one of the leading forces pushing the contraceptive abortion mentality in our culture. Recent "accomplishments" of PP, and other family planning
proponents include:
State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) – a network of subsidized family planning clinics for children which include contraception, sterilization, and abortion for rape, incest, and life of the mother.
Promoting cooperation of religious organizations with abortion, sterilization and contraceptive services though bypass mechanisms (laundering of money arrangements that make people believe their insurance does
not pay for these procedures when they are).
Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) – which mandates contraception coverage including abortifacient drugs and devices.
Claims processing which insures confidentiality for reproductive services
Compelling primary care physicians to provide confidential referrals for reproductive services
Permitting "Direct Access" to abortion, sterilization and contraceptive services
The use of accreditation as a wedge to require confidentiality on reproductive issues.
Promoting Medicaid Managed Care which mandates funding family planning services. In The April 1999 Guttmacher Report on Public Policy, reported on the a model
program from 1994 to the end of 1997 in Rhode Island (RI), where $5.7 million was spent for Rite Care family planning services.
Preventing Birth – through use of prenatal genetic testing and genetic abortion.This is already routine practice in managed care. In addition preborn mentally and physically
challenged children with high cost medical problems are at great risk. Because of organizations like the U.S. Preventive Tax Force, employers are subtly coerced by health care consultants to encourage pregnant
mothers to abort children with potential genetic abnormalities. Recently evidence uncovered favoring counseling for abortions in the instances of defects: These are cost driven decisions. For instance,
lifetime cost of Down'syndrome is pegged at $410,000 per case, and spina bifida cost is said to be $258,000, based on 1988 cross-sectional studies). The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Guide to
Clinical Preventive Services (1996) edition states "Counseling regarding screening should include information on the procedure itself, the likelihood of follow-up testing with amniocentesis and its
associated risks, as well as a full discussion of the potential outcomes associated with delivering a child with Down syndrome and of aborting a Down syndrome fetus…" With this type of counseling, statistics
show an overwhelming number of mothers choose to abort.
Finally, we have theEquity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Act (EPICC).The Guttmacher Report on Public Policy (April 1999, Volume 2, Number 2), reported the formulation
of public and private policy which will force all health plans to provide access to contraception and stop the possibility of Catholic health insurance except for "church" organizations. As I write
this, seven of the ten states (Maryland, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire, Vermont and California) that have mandated contraceptive coverage have been given some form of
opt-out on religious grounds. However, religious are narrowly limited to "church" organizations. For example, employers or religiously affiliated universities or hospitals will not qualify as employers
entitled to exemption. "Reproductive rights and family planning" proponents have convinced Catholic health care providers they can't compete in the private market. Now they hope to Prohibit them, by
law, from competing in the market place, to force them to establish immoralbypasses (laundering of money arrangements) through Third Party Admistrators (TPAs). The greatest threat to religious freedom in
health care is the CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGEBILL California Gov. Gray Davis (D) signed on September 27, 1999 This means that as of Jan.1, 2000, health care plans that offer prescription drug benefits in
California will be required to cover FDA-approved contraceptives, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Gledhill, San Francisco Chronicle, 9/28).
The Solution - A Truly Catholic Insurance Program
Catholic institutions, particularly dioceses, enjoy a deep reservoir of ethical and spiritual influence; but also control significant economic power. Dioceses
typically obtain "Catholic" health insurance from large national organizations such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente, Aetna and U.S Healthcare. These organizations
routinely pay for abortions; but they "carve out" these procedures from the coverage of diocesan employees. In taking this approach, Catholic organizations and health care professionals miss
an enormous opportunity to provide much needed leadership to faithful Catholics.
The time has come for Catholics to boldly and positively restore the "Culture of Life" within healthcare. We visualize the compelling opportunity and need
to bring all dioceses together under a national Catholic health insurance plan. This would immediately encourage corporations across the country to add this option for employees.
(Some of the most successful and economically powerful corporations in America are led by prominent Catholic CEO's.) The components of such a successful plan include:
A national health insurance carrier created by or for the dioceses.
A plan administrator under Catholic control. This is a critically important component of any truly Catholic health insurance plan since claims processing can be
easily manipulated under the present system to include "culture of death" procedures.
A national network of Catholic hospitals under Catholic health insurance to provide only "culture of life" medical procedures. National Catholic Health Insurance could
provide the financial "glue" to "build a culture of life and civilization of love".
"…[Moreover, if,] indeed, everyone has the mission and responsibility of acknowledging the personal dignity of every human being and of defending the right to life, some lay
faithful are given particular title to this task; such as parents, teachers, health workers, and the many who hold economic and political power."
-Pope John Paul II, Christifideles Laici
Dioceses, willing to link their employees under unified health insurance, would be an ideal launching pad for this new vision. The Catholic Church is a worldwide
symbol for life. Our Holy Father has clearly burnished that image over the past twenty years. A successful model in the U.S. by the National Catholic Conference of Bishops would
motivate international dioceses.
This vision has been accomplished once already – but on a relatively small scale. With the assistance of the ValuSure Corporation, the Lincoln, Nebraska Diocese
successfully implemented an exclusively Catholic health insurance program. Initially, the priests of the diocese objected to losing their Blue Cross/Blue Shield network coverage; but
once the Catholic program was implemented, they were very pleased. The program was linked to a network of Catholic health care providers who quickly recognized that it was good for
their organizations, particularly their hospitals and physicians.
Even more significantly, within six months of implementation, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, a major employer in Lincoln, made the Catholic network available
to its employees. When Blue Cross/Blue Shield offered to match the Catholic plan design established by the Lincoln Diocese, they were invited to come back when they stopped financing
abortions and "culture of death" procedures. What a powerful way to evangelize. Our dream and our motto, "Good morality and economic justice is good business!, became a reality.
Formation of the Christus Medicus Foundation
To assure the availability of Christian health insurance to all Americans, we are in critical need of a national Catholic health insurance program and a
"conscience" clause in health care that allows Catholic health care providers to compete in the market place. To accomplish these two goals, a non-profit, 501 © (3) Christus
Medicus Foundation was founded to educate the Catholic hierarchy and health care professionals on the need for Catholic health insurance and educate prolife and
profamily groups on the need for legislation that gives employers and employees the opportunity to choose a health plan that aids and heals and never kills or harms.
I think this issue of religious freedom in health care tied to the Heritage Foundation's ideas on Tax Fairness, Tax Credits, Vouchers and Medical Savings Accounts (Catholic
teaching of "Subsidiarity) could be made into a major Presidential campaign proposal. If such a plan were available, we are convinced that the majority of Americans would purchase it.With some 62
million Catholics and 25% of health care controlled by Catholic hospitals, the dioceses of the U.S. could establish by far the most comprehensive health insurancein the nation. This leverage could enable
dioceses to negotiate highest quality of care at the most economical prices in the market. A Catholic administrator could control the plan design, administration and claims processing so no manipulation in
benefits would occur.
In order to expand our vision to more dioceses and other Christian employers, we must raise $150,000 to fund a year of concentrated effort on Catholic health insurance and critical
health care legislative issues. We will use the Lincoln Diocese Plan as a model to gain credibility with other like-minded Bishops and Evangelical leaders. The Christus Medicus Foundation needs your
financial help.
Please, prayerfully consider writing a check to the Christus Medicus Foundation for whatever you can manage to give. Freedom for Catholics, other Christians and
for all Americans is at stake. We are facing one of the greatest tests of freedom in the history of our Republic. By bringing all dioceses together under a national Catholic health insurance plan, creates a
marvelous opportunity to evangelize and transform our culture to a "culture of life". I estimate that the next 15 months are critical, if we are to redirect health care. The reproductive rights and
government sponsored health care proponents are incrementally achieving "Clintoncare" as recently evidenced by what happened in California. We are in a fight for our religious freedom in America; freedom of choice
not to subsidize abortion, freedom of information to know what our health plans are covering for our children, and freedom of religion so that religious organization can provide health insurance for employers,
employees and individuals that are consistent with Catholic teaching and biblical principles. The outcome could depend on the will of Christians to make the right to Christian health care a Presidential campaign
issue.
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