(From the bill:)
The essential benefits provided for in subparagraph (A) shall include a requirement that there be non-discrimination in health care in a manner that, with respect to an individual who is eligible for medical or surgical care under a qualified health plan offered through a Gateway, prohibits the Administrator of the Gateway, or a qualified health plan offered through the Gateway, from denying such individual benefits for religious or spiritual health care, except that such religious or spiritual health care shall be an expense eligible for deduction as a medical care expense as determined by Internal Revenue Service Rulings interpreting section 213(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as of January 1, 2009.*Of course, it doesn't name Christian Scientists as the purpose for the bill, who refuse medical treatment on the grounds that it is an admission of faithlessness in God, but it's pretty clear. Not to mention that John Kerry and Ted Kennedy (zichrono livracha) both supported the provision, Boston being the founding place and headquarters of Christian Science.
Besides the obvious absurdity of this, it opens the doors for any and all quackery to demand payment from the government. Technically, if I offer a prayer before going to bed for someone's health, I should be reimbursed for my time.
What I'd like to know, however, is what position the Canadian healthcare system has on this issue. I remember reading quite a while ago that Jack Layton supports healthcare coverage for "alternative medicine," which is frankly almost a fucking deal-breaker for me to ever vote NDP. I'm going to do some research into the topic and report back in the next few days (if I remember - someone try to remind me?)
* Source quickly found on Google here
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I'm most impressed by the breadth of Mr. Hatch's proposal. Even if it is, indeed, a pork dinner with a Christian Scientist, Jehovah's Witness, or conservative Mormon guest list, the "spiritual" provision could include everything from superleft, new-age colon cleansing to straight-up voodoo. There's only one explaination: the Christian Right is turning the far left into an Army of Zombies!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure this is what the Gospels meant when they said the dead would rise, but at least, at last, our spiritual health will be "insured."
WHY I GET SHITY PAROT
ReplyDeleteIt does raise the question of just how serious the Senate really is about cost containment if they open up a whole unexplored realm of nonsense you can get insurance to cover. I really can't imagine this will make it across the floor to the final vote, or if it does that it will survive reconciliation - it's just too crazy, not just from a "let's pay people to play with rain sticks" perspective, but from a "this bill is not going to achieve universal coverage, nor will it establish a strong public option, so basically cost containment is the only thing it will do well so we probably shouldn't fuck it up" point of view.
ReplyDelete"this bill is not going to achieve universal coverage, nor will it establish a strong public option, so basically cost containment is the only thing it will do well so we probably shouldn't fuck it up"
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like way too reasonable for the Senate. Fucking up the last scraps of a good idea is what they do.
You get shity parot, Lion, because you have lost your faith in Jesus Christ, Scientist.
ReplyDeleteFurther: one of the quotes from Newsweek's "Perspectives" page:
ReplyDelete"It's going to be a holy war."
- Sen. Orrin Hatch, on the Senate debate over health-care reform.
Fuck you.