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Monday, December 2, 2024 - 06:12 PM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

A handful of agencies are forging ahead with a Biden-Harris-led initiative to fund contraception, including abortifacients, with our taxpayer money. 

In January of this year, President Joe Biden issued guidance to a slew of agencies to require full insurance coverage for contraceptives. Months later, the Health Resources and Services Administration recommended that “women have access to a full range of contraceptives and contraceptive care” which includes sterilization for both women and men, intrauterine devices, oral and injectable contraceptives, external contraceptives such as condoms, and “emergency” contraception such as Plan B. Additionally, they give themselves a blank check to cover “any additional contraceptives approved, cleared, or granted by the FDA.”

The American people are already funding contraception access to the tune of almost $1 billion taxpayer dollars through family planning services, Medicaid and Medicare, and international efforts. Certain birth control measures are already fully covered by insurance when deemed medically appropriate by a doctor. This rule would interfere with the doctor-patient relationship and put consumers at unsupervised risk for severe complications from these birth control measures. Not only is this rule unnecessary, but it’s also extremely unsafe. 

You can make your voice heard as the Departments of Treasury, Labor, Health and Human Services, and others finalize this rule by submitting a comment. We have provided you a sample comment, but recommend you edit the language in your own words. If the comment differs from others, agencies must read and respond to each individual comment. Submit your comments before December 27th to let them know that you oppose this regulation.

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Suggested message:

I am writing to express my concerns with the proposed rule titled, “Enhancing Coverage of Preventive Services Under the Affordable Care Act,” file code 1210-AC25.

Providing blanket coverage to all contraceptives, including abortifacients and sterilization, is dangerous and unnecessary. 

Our tax dollars are already funding nearly $1 billion in contraception access through family planning services, Medicaid and Medicare, and international efforts. Certain birth control measures are already fully covered by insurance when deemed medically appropriate by a doctor. This rule would interfere with the doctor-patient relationship and put consumers at unsupervised risk for severe complications from these birth control measures. Not only is this rule unnecessary, but it’s also extremely unsafe. 

Congress has repeatedly passed legislation regulating contraception access. This has given the American people a voice on this topic. However, this rule would give your agencies a blank check to fund, “any additional contraceptives approved, cleared, or granted by the FDA” going forward. This open-ended language will silence the views of Americans going forward.

I ask you to halt any implementation of this rule and withdraw it altogether. Thank you.