IBD - O Violates More Than Religion

ObamaCare Violates Far More Than Just Catholic Rights

Posted 02/10/2012 06:33 PM ET

Rights: The president's phony contraception compromise might be enough to convince Catholics their rights aren't being trampled. But what about the rest of us, who face more rights violations in the name of ObamaCare?

The "accommodation" for the church was an exercise in misdirection. Instead of forcing Catholic organizations to violate a basic tenet of their faith and pay for contraception coverage directly, Obama will instead require insurance companies to provide the coverage free of charge.

But wait a second. Since insurers can't print money, the only way they'll be able to afford this new "free" benefit will be to raise premiums on their customers, including the Catholic Church. So the church will end up paying for birth control, just not directly.
Still, the sleight of hand was good enough for the Catholic Health Association, which declared itself "very pleased" with the deal. (The U.S. Catholic bishops hadn't weighed in by press time.)

Bad as this has been, it's just a bitter taste of what's to come under ObamaCare.

Keep in mind that the only reason the contraception mandate became an issue at all is because ObamaCare grants the government wide-ranging authority over what must be covered by insurance, how it's paid for and who has to buy it.

Already, Obama has dictated that insurance plans must cover HIV screening, breast-feeding support, mammograms, colonoscopies and so on, without charging patients a dime for the service. The list will only grow longer as health groups mount vigorous and endless lobbying campaigns to get their treatments covered by every insurance plan nationwide for "free."

After all, that's what happened at the state level, where state-imposed benefit mandates exploded 20% in six years and now total more than 2,100. All of which ends up raising the price of insurance.

But don't go complaining about your rights being trampled, because the mandates will all be justified in the name of public health.
Then of course, there's the ultimate rights violation at the center of ObamaCare — the requirement that every adult American with a pulse buy government-approved insurance or face a stiff penalty. If the Supreme Court has any sense left, it will smack that down at its first opportunity.

Until ObamaCare is pulled out root and branch, however, there will be no end to the rights-wrecking mischief out of Washington.