In defense of family planning

The Obama administration’s willingness to defend insurance coverage for family planning services against attacks from conservatives and religious groups is good news for women and for the health of the nation.

Last year, the administration first proposed that, like other preventive medical goods and services, contraception and general family planning coverage should be available under the healthcare reform law without a co-payment or deductible. Not just churches but many of their affiliated organizations protested — with the backing of conservative Republicans — that they should not have to pay to provide insurance coverage for medical services that run counter to their beliefs. The president was wrongfully portrayed as waging war on religion.

Certainly, religion is entitled to extraordinary protections under the Constitution. But hospitals and universities that are affiliated with a religion are not religions themselves. They employ millions of people of various beliefs and backgrounds and perform non-religious services for the general public — and they should be subject to the same rules that govern other employers.

In its final decision Friday, the administration kept to its original proposal while walking a sensible line between religious freedom and women’s reproductive rights. Religious bodies — the Catholic Church, most notably — will be exempt, as will certain nonprofits that exist mainly to promulgate religious beliefs. But mere affiliation with a particular church or religion will not be sufficient to merit an exception.

The reasons for providing a higher level of coverage — no deductible or co-pay — to all sorts of preventive services are compelling. They prevent illness, promoting the well-being of patients while reducing overall healthcare costs.

Religious groups point out, accurately, that pregnancy is not in itself an illness that needs to be prevented. But unplanned pregnancies can lead to serious medical problems. Studies have found that women are more likely to smoke and drink during unplanned pregnancies, raising risks to the fetus, and that they tend to pay less attention to the babies after birth.

Close to half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, and about 40% of those result in abortions — a sad outcome for families, as are unwanted children. Making contraception more available would help avoid these situations.

The administration’s rule leaves the decision in the hands of patients, where it belongs, while respecting the rights of religions. It holds true to the original and wise idea that access to preventive medicine is a good idea for the nation’s physical and financial well-being.