Monthly Archives: December 2013

Michigan Becomes 24th to Pass Law Stopping Abortion Funding in Obamacare

by Steven Ertelt | Lansing, MI | LifeNews.com | 12/11/13 6:53 PM

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It’s official in Michigan. The state legislature has approved legislation pro-life groups and voters called for in a petition campaign to keep tax dollars and insurance premiums from paying for the destruction of innocent human life via abortion as part of health care under Obamacare.

The Michigan Senate and the Michigan House passed the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out. The vote in the Michigan Senate was 27-11 and the vote in the Michigan House was 62-47.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “Abortion is not true health care and people who object will not have to contribute their own tax dollars or insurance premiums for elective abortions. This law is instrumental in preserving our long tradition of protecting the conscience rights of Michigan citizens before the Affordable Care Act takes full effect in 2014.”

Listing said, “We are thankful for the hundreds of thousands of dedicated volunteers and prolife citizens who made this law possible. We applaud the Michigan legislators who stood firm in their resolve and voted to ensure no person is forced to fund the deliberate taking of an innocent human life in the name of health care.”

On January 1, 2014 state health exchanges, or the federal or “partnership” versions that will operate in their stead in a narrow majority of states, are required by law to be up and running. Many of the plans under the Obamacare exchange — most plans in some states — will pay for abortions unless states opt out of abortion funding.

Half of states still need to take action to stop abortion funding.

Today’s vote came after the Election Division of the Secretary of State concluded its review of the more than 316,000 signatures and found hundreds of thousands of Michiganders signed valid petitions asking the legislature to vote on the matter.

“Registered voters from every county in Michigan signed petitions to initiate the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act; this legislation will keep tax dollars and health insurance premiums from paying for abortion as part of standard health insurance offered in Michigan,” Right to Life of Michigan said.

“The Michigan Constitution allows the people to initiate legislation through a petition. With the Michigan Board of Canvassers verifying the signatures, the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act will now be in the hands of Michigan representatives and Michigan senators. Because the legislation was initiated by the citizens, it does not need a signature from the governor to become law; only a simple majority vote is required in the Michigan House and Senate,” the group added.

Read More: http://www.lifenews.com/2013/12/11/michigan-becomes-24th-to-pass-law-stopping-abortion-funding-in-obamacare

Planned Parenthood Cuts Breast Screenings 34% After Exploiting Komen for Millions

by Kelsey Hazzard | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 12/12/13 10:43 AM

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I hate to say I told you so. That’s usually an empty phrase. Let’s face it: most people love to say “I told you so.” But in this case, I really do hate it—because I successfully predicted that something pretty awful would happen.

Back in February of 2012, the Susan G. Komen controversy was at its zenith. You’ll recall that Susan G. Komen announced that it would stop funding Planned Parenthood, which it had been doing to the tune of about $600,000 a year, and use that money for other projects instead. Planned Parenthood responded with an extensive media campaign denouncing Susan G. Komen’s decision. Susan G. Komen eventually caved and reinstated the funding, but not before Planned Parenthood raised over $3 million off of the controversy. Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards publicly stated that the $3 million would allow Planned Parenthood to “expand our breast care work beyond our wildest dreams.”

I predicted that Planned Parenthood would not in fact provide more breast care services in 2012 than it had in past years, despite the windfall. I offered a $100 bet to abortion advocates. Not one person took me up on it.

Breast care at Planned Parenthood has been on the decline for years now. (Note that Planned Parenthood has never offered mammograms, despite some rhetoric to the contrary; what we’re talking about here are manual breast exams and related services.) According to its own annual reports, Planned Parenthood provided 839,312 breast exams in 2009, 747,607 in 2010, and 639,384 in 2011.

But surely an infusion of $3 million cash would reverse this gloomy pattern, or at least allow them to maintain 2011 levels… right?

Planned Parenthood just released its 2012 annual report (it’s always a year behind). Expansion beyond their wildest dreams, my foot. Try 549,804 breast exams. That’s about 90,000 fewer than the past year, and a whopping 34% decline since 2009.

Read More: http://www.lifenews.com/2013/12/12/planned-parenthood-cuts-breast-screenings-34-after-exploiting-komen-for-millions

Thousands of doctors are walking away from Obamacare

 December 10, 2013 (FRC) – The weather may be chilly, but it’s nothing compared to people’s reactions to ObamaCare. This month, the only thing falling faster than the temperature is the number of the new law’s supporters. Making matters worse, the policy’s biggest defectors seem to be the ones most crucial to it: the medical community.

Thousands of doctors are walking away from the exchange in a large-scale mutiny over the government’s reimbursement rates. In California, where 70% of the 104,000 physicians are refusing to participate in ObamaCare, practices stand to lose millions of dollars under the state’s bargain basement insurance rates. The Washington Examiner‘s Richard Pollack broke it down this way. “In other states, doctors receive between $500 to $700 to perform a tonsillectomy. In California [under the state exchange], they get $160.”

If you’re wondering what’s worse than a dysfunctional website, try a health care exchange without doctors! Or hospitals. With the government trying to drive down coverage costs, insurance companies have no choice but to exclude some of the more expensive facilities from their plans — including some of the top-ranked hospitals and cancer centers. In Ohio, for example, only one policy on the exchange gives patients access to the Cleveland Clinic. Other facilities are opting out for the same reasons doctors are — lower reimbursement rates.

The new revelations put the White House back on familiar ground: the defensive. “The President never said you were going to have unlimited choice of any doctor in the country you want to go to,”said former White House aide Ezekiel Emanuel and one of the architects of ObamaCare. In the latest twist on the President’s infamous promise, Emanuel insisted, “If you want to pay more for an insurance company that covers your doctor, you can do that.”

But after this week’s news on prescription drugs, who knows if patients will be able to afford it? According to health analysts, Americans will only be able to keep their medicine — if they have the money to pay for it. “Health plans are cheapening their drug formularies — just like they cheapened their networks of doctors,” explained policy expert Scott Gottlieb. “That’s how they’re paying for the benefits that President Obama promised — [like] leveling of premiums between older (and typically costlier) beneficiaries, and younger consumers.” For now, if a drug doesn’t appear on these new “formulary lists,” patients could be paying for it entirely out of pocket.

On the bright side, there’s still free birth control, right? Wrong. Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) blew that myth to bits in an interview about the Left’s insulting outreach to women. “When they’re talking about free preventive care for women, I’m having a hard time understanding where the ‘free’ part is,” Ellmers told reporters. “What Democrats fail to mention is now the cost of insurance is… many times quadrupling, in cost, and deductibles are going up by thousands of dollars.” After all, men aren’t the only ones losing their health insurance and watching their premiums skyrocket. “[Democrats’] mindset is that the only issues women care about have to do with their bodies… [as if] the only thing women care about are free contraception and whether or not they have a right to abortion. As Republicans, we know women in this country are concerned with the path that we’re on right now and so many other issues, health being one of them…”

Read More: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/thousands-of-doctors-are-walking-away-from-obamacare

*** LAWSUIT UPDATE ***

Judge expected to issue his decision this week!

No matter how he rules, this is only ROUND ONE!

December 12, 2013

You and Priests for Life are in a battle of Biblical proportions!

Round One in Priests for Life’s legal fight against the ObamaCare abortion mandate – technically called the HHS mandate – is about to end.  When it does, Round Two will begin in the form of the appeals to the judge’s ruling … either from Priests for Life or from the Obama administration.

That’s why I’m counting on you to CLICK HERE right now and make an emergency contribution to Priests for Life’s Legal Fund so that when Round Two and the appeals begin, Priests for Life will be able to sustain this important lawsuit … all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary!

Make no mistake, no matter what the judge hearing our lawsuit decides, there will be an appeal.

If we win, the Obama administration will likely appeal.

If we lose, we will definitely appeal.

In either case, the Priests for Life Legal Fund must be flush with cash in order to sustain this critically important lawsuit.

And make no mistake, our lawsuit is critically important.  Not just for Priests for Life, but for our nation.

That’s because the Obama Administration is determined to force employers – including non-profit religious organizations like Priests for Life – and insurers to provide coverage for contraceptive “services” that include abortion-causing drugs in all health insurance plans.

This stated goal of the Administration is completely contrary to the goal of the Church and of pro-life organizations like Priests for Life.

In fact, the HHS mandate is nothing less than an act of tyranny because it compels me – as well you and every other American – to violate the demands of conscience.  You and I, along with the entire Priests for Life family and all People of Life, are trying to build a culture in which every life is welcomed and protected.

The government seeks to force us to do exactly the opposite.

Which is why Priests for Life refuses to abide by this mandate.

Our religion, and the integrity of our conscience, require us not only to say we disagree with the government’s goal of expanding access to objectionable practices, but in fact to work against that goal and to avoid doing anything to advance it.

But come January 1, if Priests for Life offers health insurance to our priests, Pastoral Associates and staff,
the government is telling us that that insurance policy must cover “services” that violate our conscience.

In court yesterday, the government told us that our health insurance will cover those practices no matter what we do or don’t do.

But what galled me most is that the government is telling us that the only right we have in this very serious matter is to object to its abortion mandate.  That’s all.

We do not have the freedom to practice our religion as we are called to do.

We do not have the freedom to follow our sincerely held religious beliefs.

We do not have the freedom to live and act according to our properly formed consciences.

We do not have the freedom to offer Priests for Life staff health insurance that complies with our strongly held religious convictions.

But that’s not all.

The government argued in court that all we really need to do is sign a document that “professes” our convictions on paper and in words … but then go against those very convictions in actuality and provide the very types of health insurance coverage that we so strongly object to.

In other words, tell the world what we believe, but then act in direct opposition to our beliefs.

In addition to being hypocritical, the problem with that so-called “solution” is:

We still have to provide the objectionable coverage.

And by making coverage for those immoral practices a necessary part of the insurance plan, the government does in fact require a change in our behavior.

The change is not hard to understand.  It’s the difference between providing health insurance that covers immoral practices and providing health insurance that does not cover immoral practices.

Before the mandate, we were able to do the latter.  Now we can’t.

That’s a pretty big difference in behavior.

Like I said, the government wants to limit our freedom to the right to object.

But freedom of conscience does not mean and is not limited to just the right to object.

True freedom of conscience means the right to refuse to cooperate.  It means the right to say “No” to being part of a project, plan, and goal that we oppose.

And it is that right and that freedom that Priests for Life is fighting to defend!

For ourselves.

For you.

And for all Americans!

So please …

CLICK HERE and make as large a contribution as you can to Priests for Life’s Legal Fund so that,
come Round Two, we can sustain this important lawsuit … all the way to the Supreme Court if that’s what it takes!

This much is clear:

The government under this administration is trampling upon the rights of the Church and the rights of all Americans to practice our religion free from government coercion.

Further, it is trying to tell us what does and does not constitute a burden on our faith.

That is tyranny, pure and simple.

And Priests for Life is fighting against it with everything we’ve got.

This truly is a battle of Biblical proportions.

So please help us.

CLICK HERE and make as large a donation as you can.

And PRAY for the success of our lawsuit; and especially the judge who is considering his decision even as you read this email.

Thank you.  And may God bless you.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Free diapers and ultrasounds: the nefarious work of crisis pregnancy centers

NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland’s executive director, Jodi Finkelstein

December 6, 2013 (NRLC) – Maryland is an overwhelmingly pro-choice state. With a pro-choice governor and a mostly pro-choice legislature, citizens have managed to keep abortion-regulating legislation outside its borders. Yet, one organization is worried that’s not enough.

NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland’s executive director, Jodi Finkelstein, and education and outreach coordinator Amber Banks, called into the Washington DC-based radio station WPFW today [Thursday], during a segment called “In Our Voices” with host Nkenge Toure, to discuss their efforts in not only ensuring women’s “right to choose,” but combating complacency as well in the securely pro-abortion Old Line State.

“Our biggest challenge is we are battling apathy in the state of Maryland.”

Their first priority? Inform citizens about crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), which the NARAL representatives describe as giving young women “false medical advice in order to convince them to stay pregnant” and offering their services for free “to lure people in.” Banks is also the coordinator of “Its Lies” – a campaign established to expose the dodgy pro-life practices of CPCs. She and Finkelstein listed more of these pregnancy centers’ offenses.

“All of them offer what they call counseling […] free pregnancy tests […] some of them offer ultrasounds […] free diapers, STI services.”

Free diapers? Why aren’t they calling the police!

At least 50 crisis pregnancy centers are present in Maryland alone, NARAL explains. Nationwide, there are thousands – outnumbering abortion clinics 4 to 1.

Despite what Finkelstein and Banks think, crisis pregnancy centers are life-saving organizations that provide young and scared mothers with the encouragement and support they need to not only give birth, but to excel as parents. Yet, Toure didn’t hide her suspicion, asking her guests, “Who’s paying for them? How are they funded?”

NARAL explained CPCs are funded by a lot of private donations, religious organizations and some taxpayer money, some of which is thanks to the state’s “Choose Life” license plates. Toure’s response? “Wow.”

Don’t even get me started.

If I had to start, it would be with these two words: Planned Parenthood. Not only is Planned Parenthood the largest abortion provider in the country, but it is taxpayer-funded – by many who disagree with their services.

Read More: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/free-diapers-and-ultrasounds-the-nefarious-work-of-crisis-pregnancy-centers

Nelson Mandela: Can He Have a Great Legacy if He Promoted Abortion?

by Jill Stanek | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 12/8/13 12:30 PM

 Nelson Mandela has the blood of preborn children on his hands… lots of them.

Serving as the Republic of South Africa’s president from 1994-1999, Mandela not only signed the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996, he was also one of the most ardent supporters of what the openly pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute calls “one of the most liberal abortion laws in the world.”

As cited, the law “allows abortion on demand up to the 20th week; after it and up to birth for ‘serious medical reasons’; and, as amended in 2004, allows registered nurses and midwives to perform abortions as well before the 12th week.”…

Since the legalization of abortion in the RSA, there has been 1 million legal abortions reported to the government, with the overwhelming number being that of racially black African unborn children as cited by Spero News on Jan. 31, 2012.

I cannot get past this and cannot view Mandela as any other than a leader who engaged in mass genocide of his own innocent people.

Read More: http://www.lifenews.com/2013/12/08/nelson-mandela-can-he-have-a-great-legacy-if-he-promoted-abortion/

Can’t keep the insurance you like and new policies are exorbitantly expensive; can’t keep the doctor you want; the data you give can wind up anywhere; and the Medicaid-eligible constitute almost the entirety of those signing up for ObamaCare…it gets worse and worse and worse.

Read More: http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2013/12/obamacares-massive-costs-to-ordinary-citizens-starting-to-become-known