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Health Care and the Healing of America
Jan 19, 2011
In the wake of the tragic shooting last week in Arizona, President
Obama called on all Americans to speak to one another "in a way that
heals, not a way that wounds." These words echo the physicians' credo --
"first do no harm." I welcome the president's call for healing and for
softening the harsh tone of our politics. We have a great need for
this in America today.
Unfortunately, even with the president's hopeful words still ringing
in our ears, the House leadership is moving forward with an agenda that
will harm American women. On Wednesday, they will bring up a vote to
repeal the health care law that is already expanding health care
coverage for the women of our country.
The politicians who took over the House of Representatives rode to
power on a wave of discontent over joblessness and financial worries.
But rather than focusing on the economy, they have made it their first
order of business to take health care away from our mothers, daughters,
sisters, and friends. And, sadly, the vote to repeal health care is
just the beginning.
These leaders are about to make life much less humane for millions of
Americans -- especially the women of this country. Yes, we want a new
civil tone, but we also want policies that respect women and deliver the
health care they and their families need and deserve.
Keep in mind that the new health care law represents the greatest
single advance for women's health in 45 years. It promises to make
health insurance available to millions of women, and it includes
measures to make primary health care -- including annual exams,
prevention, and reproductive care -- much more affordable. Most
importantly, it will deliver peace of mind to women whose health needs
are great but whose resources are few.
The new law will also deliver peace of mind to women who have been
sick before. It will end discriminatory practices such as routinely
charging women higher premiums than men, and denying coverage for
so-called "pre-existing" conditions such as breast cancer and, yes,
pregnancy.
Health care reform also holds the promise of giving women access to
prescription birth control without co-pays or other out-of-pocket
payments. Making this policy a reality would enable women to choose the
method of contraception that works best for them, keep women and
children healthy, and reduce the number of unintended pregnancies.
Many American women have already begun to benefit from the initial
implementation of health care reform. And countless more stand to
benefit in the years to come. Repealing this law will hurt women and
families and make daily life less certain for them. In other words, it
will do harm.
But repealing the new health care law is only the first step for the
new leaders of the House. Soon after the repeal vote, they plan to move
forward with the Smith bill, which could effectively eliminate private
health insurance that includes abortion coverage, a benefit most women
with private health insurance have now. Thirty-eight years after Roe,
this would chip away at the ability of women to make the most private
and personal medical decisions. As if that were not enough,
conservative members of Congress, led by Representative Mike Pence, are
working to strip critical family planning funding from community
providers including Planned Parenthood. And they are threatening cuts
to vital maternal and child health programs, as well as programs
supporting health care in our farming and rural communities. Taken
together, all of these changes will take away the full range of services
from women -- from birth control to coverage for abortion.
Talk of civility and a new tone is welcome and deserves nothing but
praise. But when the health and peace of mind of our mothers, daughters
and sisters come up for a vote, let's remember that actions speak
louder than words.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
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Cecile Richards
Cecile Richards is president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, PPFA's political arm. Cecile writes about election issues as the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. She is a leader in national progressive politics with more than 20 years of experience working on behalf of reproductive freedom and social justice.
In the wake of the tragic shooting last week in Arizona, President
Obama called on all Americans to speak to one another "in a way that
heals, not a way that wounds." These words echo the physicians' credo --
"first do no harm." I welcome the president's call for healing and for
softening the harsh tone of our politics. We have a great need for
this in America today.
Unfortunately, even with the president's hopeful words still ringing
in our ears, the House leadership is moving forward with an agenda that
will harm American women. On Wednesday, they will bring up a vote to
repeal the health care law that is already expanding health care
coverage for the women of our country.
The politicians who took over the House of Representatives rode to
power on a wave of discontent over joblessness and financial worries.
But rather than focusing on the economy, they have made it their first
order of business to take health care away from our mothers, daughters,
sisters, and friends. And, sadly, the vote to repeal health care is
just the beginning.
These leaders are about to make life much less humane for millions of
Americans -- especially the women of this country. Yes, we want a new
civil tone, but we also want policies that respect women and deliver the
health care they and their families need and deserve.
Keep in mind that the new health care law represents the greatest
single advance for women's health in 45 years. It promises to make
health insurance available to millions of women, and it includes
measures to make primary health care -- including annual exams,
prevention, and reproductive care -- much more affordable. Most
importantly, it will deliver peace of mind to women whose health needs
are great but whose resources are few.
The new law will also deliver peace of mind to women who have been
sick before. It will end discriminatory practices such as routinely
charging women higher premiums than men, and denying coverage for
so-called "pre-existing" conditions such as breast cancer and, yes,
pregnancy.
Health care reform also holds the promise of giving women access to
prescription birth control without co-pays or other out-of-pocket
payments. Making this policy a reality would enable women to choose the
method of contraception that works best for them, keep women and
children healthy, and reduce the number of unintended pregnancies.
Many American women have already begun to benefit from the initial
implementation of health care reform. And countless more stand to
benefit in the years to come. Repealing this law will hurt women and
families and make daily life less certain for them. In other words, it
will do harm.
But repealing the new health care law is only the first step for the
new leaders of the House. Soon after the repeal vote, they plan to move
forward with the Smith bill, which could effectively eliminate private
health insurance that includes abortion coverage, a benefit most women
with private health insurance have now. Thirty-eight years after Roe,
this would chip away at the ability of women to make the most private
and personal medical decisions. As if that were not enough,
conservative members of Congress, led by Representative Mike Pence, are
working to strip critical family planning funding from community
providers including Planned Parenthood. And they are threatening cuts
to vital maternal and child health programs, as well as programs
supporting health care in our farming and rural communities. Taken
together, all of these changes will take away the full range of services
from women -- from birth control to coverage for abortion.
Talk of civility and a new tone is welcome and deserves nothing but
praise. But when the health and peace of mind of our mothers, daughters
and sisters come up for a vote, let's remember that actions speak
louder than words.
Cecile Richards
Cecile Richards is president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, PPFA's political arm. Cecile writes about election issues as the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. She is a leader in national progressive politics with more than 20 years of experience working on behalf of reproductive freedom and social justice.
In the wake of the tragic shooting last week in Arizona, President
Obama called on all Americans to speak to one another "in a way that
heals, not a way that wounds." These words echo the physicians' credo --
"first do no harm." I welcome the president's call for healing and for
softening the harsh tone of our politics. We have a great need for
this in America today.
Unfortunately, even with the president's hopeful words still ringing
in our ears, the House leadership is moving forward with an agenda that
will harm American women. On Wednesday, they will bring up a vote to
repeal the health care law that is already expanding health care
coverage for the women of our country.
The politicians who took over the House of Representatives rode to
power on a wave of discontent over joblessness and financial worries.
But rather than focusing on the economy, they have made it their first
order of business to take health care away from our mothers, daughters,
sisters, and friends. And, sadly, the vote to repeal health care is
just the beginning.
These leaders are about to make life much less humane for millions of
Americans -- especially the women of this country. Yes, we want a new
civil tone, but we also want policies that respect women and deliver the
health care they and their families need and deserve.
Keep in mind that the new health care law represents the greatest
single advance for women's health in 45 years. It promises to make
health insurance available to millions of women, and it includes
measures to make primary health care -- including annual exams,
prevention, and reproductive care -- much more affordable. Most
importantly, it will deliver peace of mind to women whose health needs
are great but whose resources are few.
The new law will also deliver peace of mind to women who have been
sick before. It will end discriminatory practices such as routinely
charging women higher premiums than men, and denying coverage for
so-called "pre-existing" conditions such as breast cancer and, yes,
pregnancy.
Health care reform also holds the promise of giving women access to
prescription birth control without co-pays or other out-of-pocket
payments. Making this policy a reality would enable women to choose the
method of contraception that works best for them, keep women and
children healthy, and reduce the number of unintended pregnancies.
Many American women have already begun to benefit from the initial
implementation of health care reform. And countless more stand to
benefit in the years to come. Repealing this law will hurt women and
families and make daily life less certain for them. In other words, it
will do harm.
But repealing the new health care law is only the first step for the
new leaders of the House. Soon after the repeal vote, they plan to move
forward with the Smith bill, which could effectively eliminate private
health insurance that includes abortion coverage, a benefit most women
with private health insurance have now. Thirty-eight years after Roe,
this would chip away at the ability of women to make the most private
and personal medical decisions. As if that were not enough,
conservative members of Congress, led by Representative Mike Pence, are
working to strip critical family planning funding from community
providers including Planned Parenthood. And they are threatening cuts
to vital maternal and child health programs, as well as programs
supporting health care in our farming and rural communities. Taken
together, all of these changes will take away the full range of services
from women -- from birth control to coverage for abortion.
Talk of civility and a new tone is welcome and deserves nothing but
praise. But when the health and peace of mind of our mothers, daughters
and sisters come up for a vote, let's remember that actions speak
louder than words.
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