MEN - Republicans will hurt you, too!

The current flap over health care insurance in this country centers, primarily, on women's health care.  But make no mistake about it: men will be affected, too.


Sen. Roy Blunt - Republican from Missouri -  tacked an amendment on to the Transportation Authorization Bill (boy, that's an appropriate place to put a health care amendment, isn't it?) which would allow any employer to refuse to insure contraception or any other health service for any moral reason.  


Read part of that again:  "any other health service."  If you're a man, you might want to  think about what that means to you, especially since "moral reason" is not defined in the bill and you can bet employers that pay part of their employees' insurance costs could well decide that money is a good enough moral reason ... hey, corporations are people, doncha know?


So ...let's look at what your employer could decide NOT to include in health care coverage.  One, of course, is contraception: there goes your vasectomy coverage.  Wipe out birth control pills or IUDs ... now, that should scare the dickens out of you unless you want to be held legally and financially responsible for all the babies you help create!


Your employer could have a moral objection to depression screening or STD screening.  Or even screening and medical treatment for Type 2 diabetes because of a moral objection to an "unhealthy" lifestyle.  


Under the Blunt amendment, your employer could even eliminate heart disease screening and treatment because of moral objections to the way you live your life - diet, lack of exercise, overweight.  How about treatment for skin cancer if your employer objects to your activities in the sun?  Sen. John McCain of Arizona should be concerned about this but you know darn well he won't be - he's already had his medical treatment for skin cancer!


Or what about screening for prostate issues?  Prostatitis can be caused by an injury (playing football) or the bacteria can even be spread through sexual activity.  So, once again ... your employer could deny coverage for prostate issues due to moral objection to your lifestyle.


My question:  do you REALLY want the government and your profit-seeking employer deciding your health care coverage based on religious or moral views?  REALLY?


If so, then you deserve what you get - and, trust me, you'll get more than you bargained for - and none of what you need.


Update 3/4/12:  The U.S. Senate defeated the Blunt amendment.  But the House has a similar measure and you can bet that will pass with flying colors.  The battle is NOT over.