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It's Simple Justice! Health Care Reform Must Include Reproductive Health Services The crisis of health care in America is a call to action for people of faith and conscience. More than 47 million Americans are uninsured and, as a result, have problems getting needed medical care and are in poor health. Millions more who do have health insurance must fight for reimbursement of their medical expenses or are drowning in medical bills. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice is committed to a health
care reform plan that guarantees equal access to comprehensive, high-quality,
affordable health care for all. This is a fundamental issue of justice. Treatments and services that promote reproductive health throughout a woman’s life must be part of any national health plan. These include contraceptive services, maternity care, pre- and post-partum care, abortion care, and screenings for sexually transmitted infections and reproductive cancers. As Congress moves forward with legislation to reform the nation’s
health care system, we can expect a few, powerful organizations including
the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to politicize women’s
reproductive health care by pressing divisive debates around abortion. The
bishops have warned that including abortion as a health care benefit will
jeopardize passage of national health care reform. But it’s the bishops
and their allies who will block health care reform if it includes comprehensive
reproductive health RCRC’s view is that abortion and contraception care should not be treated any differently than any other health care service. Coverage decisions should be left to a council of non-partisan health experts and should be grounded in science and based on the best interest of patients. RCRC Supports Faithful Reform in Health Care Many hundreds of Americans have already petitioned Congress to support of faith-inspired vision of health care - a society where each person is afforded health, wholeness and human dignity. That vision embraces a system of health care that is inclusive, accessible, affordable, and accountable. View the petition and add your name. To: Members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives and selected members of the Administration As we conclude this Interfaith Week of Prayer for Health Care, we are keenly aware that we are on the cusp of an unprecedented opportunity to create a health care future that includes everyone and works well for all of us. Those of us in faith communities believe that such a future must be shaped by the sacred bonds of our common humanity and reflect faithful stewardship of our abundant health care resources. When that future moves from vision to reality, one in six children and non-elderly adults in the United States will no longer have to live sicker and risk dying younger because they cannot get needed health care. Medical expenses will no longer cause financial ruin for families, institutions, businesses, and governments. All of us will have the health care we need regardless of our age, income, race, gender, pre-existing conditions, sexuality, or place of residence.
People of faith are working to change that. We know that social change happens
over time as our hearts and minds are transformed and our sensitivities are
moved from self-interests to the common good. When we are at our best, people
of faith are at the heart of such transformation. Toward that end, we commit ourselves to promoting values that are important to us and to our health care reform discussions – values like community, compassion, concern for those who are most vulnerable, shared responsibility, and faithful stewardship. Inspired by these shared values from our sacred texts, we will keep alive a vision where health, wholeness and human dignity are our priority. And We will measure legislative proposals by their capacity to move us toward
a health care future that is: These values arise from “A Faith-Inspired Vision of Health Care”
(printed below). To date, the undersigned 75 national, regional and state
organizations have committed to this Vision, joined by an additional 2000+
individuals and local communities of faith. Believing that health care for
all is a moral imperative, we commit ourselves to moving this vision to reality
in 2009. Health Care - The True Story Imagine: One morning, you’re rushing down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairway, you see a young woman lying on the floor, bleeding and with a broken arm. As she sits up, you ask where her doctor’s office is located so can help her there. She timidly answers, “No, I can’t go to a doctor. I don’t have health insurance.” This is a true story. And even if you’re thinking the story is irrelevant to your life because you are currently insured, you could still be affected by the uninsured crisis. Over 33% of Americans will not have health care coverage at some point in their lives. Instead of worrying about our health, we are worrying about how to pay for it. Unlike education, health is not a right in the United States. So just like we fought for equal access to education in the 60s, today we are fighting for the same right for health care. Currently, health care is a privilege for those who have money, a job with benefits, or the qualifications to be covered under Medicaid or Medicare. It’s a myth that uninsured Americans are lazy or jobless. In reality they are your neighbors, family members, and you. Americans are vehemently demanding change for equal access to and better quality of health care based on the moral imperative for health care reform: that it is immoral to deny access to health care because of a person’s income level, education, or race. In the 2008 presidential election, health care was one of the top three issues for voters. However, some are still hesitant to speak out for change because health policy is messy, complicated, and often difficult to understand. But one group’s message is clear: US based health care must change now because the system is inefficient, costly, and most importantly, immoral.
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