Friday, May 11, 2007
from the Kennebec Journal
Rep. Pingree hears varied proposals for health-care solutions
HALLOWELL Fire that cut communications labeled arson
MONMOUTH Police defended after slim budget rejection
State's schools chief to parley
Wasser will lead newsrooms at KJ, Sentinel and in Portland
BRIEFS
Hockey still in picture for Harrington
Portland boxer to face legend's son
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
$1.3 MILLION FOR HEALTHREACH
Families Matter grows to meet special needs
Chellie Pingree listens to ideas on health care reform
FARMINGTON Rain alters plans for 4th of July
District regroups after budget failure
Vote on county budget hits snag
Burnham driver wins checkered flag at 2 tracks on same day
Maine boxer gets unique opportunity
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
I have never understood why MaineCare pays for multiple prenatal visits and hospital delivery costs for poor women, who ultimately stay "in the system" supported by taxpayers even longer due to the financial burden of having yet another child, yet MaineCare does not cover the one-time cost of an abortion.
The women who are most adversely affected by an unwanted pregnancy are Maine's poorest women, who are on MaineCare.
Women with private health insurance don't have to deal with the cost of an abortion if they need one. But for Maine's poorest women, coming up with hundreds of dollars on short notice puts them in a position to delay paying for other bills like rent or groceries, asking for help from an unsupportive partner, or delaying the abortion until they are further along in the pregnancy, when risks and cost increase. Even worse, they may continue an unwanted pregnancy that they feel they are unable to care for, neglecting their own health while pregnant and making them a less-than-ideal candidate for making an adoption plan.
Without L.D. 1309, the right to choose an abortion is denied to certain women for financial reasons. L.D. 1309 lessens discrimination against low-income women, and makes fiscal and ethical sense.
Nicole Mathieu
Hallowell
Reader comments
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Medicaid works like this, the Federal government will reimburse the State for proper medical claims under a policy that has been created. Abortion is not under any policy, so therefore it would not be reimbursed. The State must pay for the medical treatment, out of the State's general fund.
It seems funny to me that if your State has trouble balancing it's budget now (and every one is saying the State is spending too much), why would you add more spending measures on something that only benefits less than 8% of the population.
Stupid is as stupid does.
Oh, by the way, vaginal intercourse is not the only way to have sex. I can thing of at least 2 other orifices’.
report abuse
Oldguy, how about this logic?
Without (some dumb law) the right to smoke cigarettes is denied to certain people for financial reasons. (Some dumb law) lessens discrimination against low-income people and makes fiscal and ethical sense.
Since we don't have a problem with a (wo)man doing as s/he sees fit, we should have no problem allowing, say Food Stamps to be used to buy cigarettes. You may choose NOT to smoke cigarettes just as you may choose NOT to have sex and get pregnant. Or if you DO choose to have sex, you take proper precautions.
Lastly,
"If this truly is a problem and the cost isn't great it makes sense to do this instead of paying welfare benefits for children for the next 18 years."
This is exactly the logic that has gotten our society to the point where it is today that we NEED to be having this debate in the first place. Cheaper to pay for an abortion than pay welfare for the next 18 years. We CREATED the "Great Society" and now we have to live with it. Maybe... JUST MAYBE if we had more RESPONSIBILITIES and fewer RIGHTS, we'd not be in this mess.....report abuse
Any individual "rights" should end at the point where it is the responsibility of someone else to pay for it!report abuse
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