The US War on Women Continues

[Razgovory]

The Pravda link is not working for me.  What are the facts of the story?

The Department of Health and Human Services announced on Thursday that it will cut off all Medicaid funding for family planning to the state of Texas, following Gov. Rick Perry's (R) decision to implement a new law that excludes Planned Parenthood from the state's Medicaid Women's Health Program.

Cindy Mann, director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations (CMSO), wrote Texas health officials a letter on Thursday explaining that the state broke federal Medicaid rules by discriminating against qualified family planning providers and thus would be losing the entire program, which provides cancer screenings, contraceptives and basic health care to 130,000 low-income women each year.

"We very much regret the state's decision to implement this rule, which will prevent women enrolled in the program from receiving services from the trusted health care providers they have chosen and relied upon for their care," she wrote. "In light of Texas' actions, CMS is not in a position to extend or renew the current [Medicaid contract]."

The federal government pays for nearly 90 percent of Texas' $40 million Women's Health Program, and nearly half of the program's providers in Texas are Planned Parenthood clinics. But the new law that went into effect earlier this month disqualified Planned Parenthood from participating in the program because some of its clinics provide abortions, even though no state or federal money can be used to pay for those abortions.

According to Medicaid law, Mann said, a state cannot restrict women's ability to choose a provider simply because that provider offers separate services -- in this case, abortion -- that aren't even paid for by the Medicaid program.

Perry wrote a letter to President Obama earlier this month accusing his administration of "mandating which health providers the state of Texas must use" in order to "continue to support abortion providers like Planned Parenthood." He vowed to continue the Women's Health Program in Texas without Planned Parenthood and without federal money, although he has yet to outline how his state will come up with money.

But an HHS spokesperson told reporters on Thursday that this was not Obama's decision and that the administration's hands are tied on the issue. "Medicaid law is very clear; a state may not restrict patients' choice of providers of services like mammograms and other cancer screenings, if those providers are qualified to deliver care covered by Medicaid. Patients, not state government officials, should be able to choose the doctors and other health care providers that are best for them and their families. In 2005, Texas requested this same authority to restrict patients' choices, and the Bush Administration did not grant it to them either."

[11B4V]

Patients, not state government officials, should be able to choose the doctors and other health care providers that are best for them and their families. In 2005, Texas requested this same authority to restrict patients' choices, and the Bush Administration did not grant it to them either."

Sounds OK to me. Maybe Texas is fucked up.

[jimmy olsen]

We're not doing so well in the war on drugs or the war on terror, are we at least winning this war?

[Hansmeister]

This is a bizarre war for the Conservatives to wage this year.  Do they really think this is a wedge issue they can win with?

I really am speechless it is like we stepped back to the issues of 1975.  Should we be debating whether to send money to help the South Vietnamese as wel?

What makes you say that the Republicans are waging a "war on women"?  Since this "war" was started by the Democrats holding women hostage in order to fund the billion-dollar abortion industry with taxpayer money.  Kind of a strange set of priorities.

Of course the Democrats also started a war against the catholic church to force them to subsidize birth control pills that you can buy for $9 at Wal-mart.  I guess when your administration has been a total failure you have to create a "war" on social issues to distract from your incompetence.  Good thing the Dems have a compliant media willing to spin for them, but all of this was started by the WH, not by the GOP.

[DontSayBanana]

Of course the Democrats also started a war against the catholic church to force them to subsidize birth control pills that you can buy for $9 at Wal-mart.

This post was loaded with so much mouth-frothing that I'm only going to reply to the only thing that even looks like an attempt to drop a fact in.

FACT: How the fuck do you call it "subsidization" when the catholic church is tax-exempt?  Or are you talking about the fact that they want to be special snowflakes and exempt from employment law?  Don't conflate shit, man.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

This is a bizarre war for the Conservatives to wage this year.  Do they really think this is a wedge issue they can win with?

I really am speechless it is like we stepped back to the issues of 1975.  Should we be debating whether to send money to help the South Vietnamese as wel?

What makes you say that the Republicans are waging a "war on women"?  Since this "war" was started by the Democrats holding women hostage in order to fund the billion-dollar abortion industry with taxpayer money.  Kind of a strange set of priorities.

Of course the Democrats also started a war against the catholic church to force them to subsidize birth control pills that you can buy for $9 at Wal-mart.  I guess when your administration has been a total failure you have to create a "war" on social issues to distract from your incompetence.  Good thing the Dems have a compliant media willing to spin for them, but all of this was started by the WH, not by the GOP.

The stupid is strong in this one, Master Yoda.

[The Brain]

Surely every decent country is already at war with the Catholic Church?

[Syt]

I am ashamed that Hansmeister was born in Germany.

[Jacob]

garbon, look at the distortions and outright lies Hansie is spouting to justify the roll backs and attacks on women's healthcare and women's reproductive rights. That's what I mean by the war on women. There's a lot of it going around right now, and the are a lot of places where it's having a direct effect on peoples' lives.

To be fair, it might be more accurate to call it the GOP's war on women.

[Neil]

I don't think it's a war on women, just a profound misunderstanding of what is and isn't a person.

[CountDeMoney]

I don't think it's a war on women, just a profound misunderstanding of what is and isn't a person.

Yeah, like women.

[Duque de Bragança]

I am ashamed that Hansmeister was born in Germany.

I'm surprised you don't spin it against Bavaria

[DGuller]

I am ashamed that Hansmeister was born on earth.  At least I think he was.

[Syt]

I am ashamed that Hansmeister was born in Germany.

I'm surprised you don't spin it against Bavaria

I don't recall whether he was born in Bavaria proper or Bavarian occupied Franconia.

[Razgovory]

What makes you say that the Republicans are waging a "war on women"?  Since this "war" was started by the Democrats holding women hostage in order to fund the billion-dollar abortion industry with taxpayer money.  Kind of a strange set of priorities.

Of course the Democrats also started a war against the catholic church to force them to subsidize birth control pills that you can buy for $9 at Wal-mart.  I guess when your administration has been a total failure you have to create a "war" on social issues to distract from your incompetence.  Good thing the Dems have a compliant media willing to spin for them, but all of this was started by the WH, not by the GOP.

Ah, so that's why we had a war on Christmas.