Michigan lawmakers are currently deciding whether to advance a bill that would require women in the state to purchase a separate insurance policy for abortion coverage, even in cases of rape or incest. If it’s approved, Michigan would join a long list of other states that have attacked abortion access by preventing women from using their own insurance to pay for it.
The debate over the legislation has heated up this week, particularly since the measure would deny abortion coverage even to women who have become pregnant as a result of rape. Although the overwhelming majority of Americans believe that rape victims should have access to legal abortion services, lawmakers continue to propose policies that would have callous implications for individuals who have been sexually assaulted.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) vetoed the proposed insurance ban last year for exactly this reason — pointing out that it would require rape victims to pay for the total cost of their abortion procedure out-of-pocket, unless they had thought ahead and purchased a separate insurance rider for abortion services. “I don’t believe it is appropriate to tell a woman who becomes pregnant due to a rape that she needed to select elective insurance coverage,” Snyder noted when he rejected the bill last December.
But Michigan’s anti-choice community disagrees. Earlier this year, when advocating for the proposed legislation, a prominent anti-choice leader in Michigan suggested that rape is like a car accident and it’s appropriate to require women to buy “extra insurance” to prepare for it. After Snyder’s veto, abortion opponents decided to simply circumvent the governor and collect enough signatures to provoke a “citizen-initiated” vote on the measure. That petition was successful, and the measure headed to the legislature on Tuesday.
Lawmakers now have 40 days — not including the upcoming holiday break — to act on the measure. If they don’t take any action, the issue will be placed on the 2014 ballot for a statewide vote. If the legislature approves it, on the other hand, the bill will immediately become law — even without Snyder’s signature.
"Rape is like a car accident?" I know I am supposed to write something snarky right about here, but once again I am rendered virtually speechless.
How is it even remotely reasonable to consider forcing women to purchase "rape insurance," so that they can regain control over their own bodies, once they have been violated?
Here I have an idea, how about instead of this attack on women, Michigan pass a law stating that the rapist's insurance has to pay for the abortion? Unless of course the woman decides to keep it, at which time the courts should insist that he work two jobs at a time in order to provide for the child, whom he will be denied access to, until the child is 21 years old?
To my mind that, since the child is the result of the rapist's actions alone, seems far more reasonable.
"Rape is like a car accident?"
ReplyDeleteSpeechless.
To do this effectively, it must be done in the proper order. First, stop teaching them to read, for crying out loud! Then, stop giving them permission to vote. Then force them to wear the burqa. Then prohibit them from driving. THEN and only then, can you force them - and I mean REALLY force them - to buy rape insurance. By that point, they'll do ANYTHING they're told to do.
ReplyDeleteAnything.
Heck, just put 'em all in chastity belts.
DeleteImagine the uproar if all men who purchase Viagra or other ED pills was required to get insurance like this!! Any woman who votes repub. deserves all that is coming. The gop is infested with lunatics, and they are running the asylum.
Delete@515
Delete"Heck, just put 'em all in chastity belts. "
What else did you think we make them wear under the burqa??
So females who are minors are dependent of their guardians to purchase the rape insurance (even if one of her own relatives is the rapists) and if they chose not to purchase the insurance, then the child is out of luck?
ReplyDeleteThere's so much potential for creative legislation here. We could jail all the parents that fail to provide rape insurance for their daughters age 10 and up. And, of course, we could jail all the girls and women too poor to buy rape insurance. Alternatively, we could require every male on the planet to register their DNA so they can be easily located to pay for the rape victim's abortion.
DeleteI imagine then we will all need to purchase insurance in case we are a victim of a physical assualt, or as a shooting spree victim as well?
ReplyDeleteHow about men purchasing insurance in case they rape some one? How about people who use guns purchase insurance in case they shoot someone?
ReplyDeleteShould we also have assault insurance,and anyone injured in an assault must have a separate rider to their medical coverage for care as a result of assault?
ReplyDeleteor perhaps men who are sexually active should carry pregnancy insurance for anyone they get pregnant.
I like the idea of people who purchase guns buying insurance in case they shoot someone.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely time to require drug testing of anyone who runs for, or is in, an elected office at all levels of government.
ReplyDeletewonkette was right that Michigan is determined to become Mississippi With Snow
ReplyDeleteOh that is soooooooo true. I live in a Blue county, thank goodness. It's a safe locale, nice neighbors, but talk about a cultural wasteland.
DeleteA woman said this - a fucking teatard woman said this.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/22/anti-abortion-leader-faces-criticism-after-comparing-rape-to-car-accidents/
Reading this almost made me cry. I was almost raped. The would be rapist ran off when my brother came in the house. The thought of having to buy insurance just in case it happened really upset me. As a woman I have to prepare financially in case I am sexually assaulted? What is this country coming to? I am speechless!
ReplyDeleteI was raped, almost killed and left for dead in - 40 degree temps, I barely lived and I could not be flown out due to landing conditions at the nearest trauma center. My life depended on the skill of a surgeon and a GP who were at the small hospital I was at and my fellow nurses who went above and beyond to treat me.
DeleteThis was back in the day where there were no quick pregnancy tests or morning after pills and I was not using birth control because my husband and I were trying for another child, I had to wait FOUR WEEKS in a state of a very fragile mentality, almost suicidal during my recovery over fear I was pregnant and I can tell you that if I had been I would have aborted or taken my own life.
I survived, with a damaged trachea from being choked into unconsciousness, a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain, hypothermia which actually slowed the brain bleed, and a host of other small injuries and bruises.
What this law also leads to is not covering ANY hospital bills from an assault. Thank goodness I had good insurance at the time because 36 yrs ago my hospital bills ran up to almost $200,000.
This law will also prevent a woman that has to have a medical abortion to save her life from having her insurance pay, I suppose that will be "punishment" for wanting to live.
Forcing a woman to carry a fetus to term and give birth does NOT automatically transform her into a person physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, medically capable of doing the best for the fetus and subsequent child.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't about rape. This law is about depriving the BEST person of the decision making power. The BEST person to decide is the pregnant woman.
All the lawmakers are financially able to ship their problem pregnancies to Canada and Europe for safe, private abortions. These laws are about controlling poor women.
Correction. These laws are about controlling ALL women.
DeleteI used to be proud to be from Michigan. No more.
I always say I'm a transplant. And then talk about my East Coast ties. Especially during deer and football season.
DeleteCar accidents are accidents and rape is a crime. If someone drives drunk the person can be punished, because it becomes a crime. I love the way they never think that the person committing a crime is at fault. Insurance should be for the people doing wrong, like Companies purposely doing wrong or people being not responsible for others welfare,, or using their body part as a weapon and same with guns! Yeah they need drug tests because they sure are getting everything backwards. Punish the victim as usual.
ReplyDeleteSome women decide to terminate intentional pregnancies. The fetus might have medical problems, the woman's medical situation may have deteriorated, and assorted other reasons. This is a sad, difficult decision for a woman. This law makes such a situation even worse by imposing a financial burden.
ReplyDeleteA rape victim is certainly entitled to a safe, private, FREE abortion, without any strings attached by idiot lawmakers. And the same is true for many other pregnant women.
This is obviously a man's idea. Rape is a crime. The victim should not have to pay for anything: not the police "rape kit" (ahem, Sarah Palin), not the medical treatment she might require afterwards, not the abortion should the victim choose to have one. It should all be paid by -- perhaps a required insurance policy that all men should have to have. This idiotic bill (I'm ashamed to say that I live in Michigan right now) is just another way to criminalize the victim of rape rather than the criminal who committed the crime.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
Since I don't trust a 'moderate' Snyder any further than I could throw him, I'm guessing he vetoed the bill with full knowledge that the 'citzens' group would be gathering signatures and he would get his dream of banning abortion without having to sign it. He can pretend he cares about women, but the 'people' have spoken. Pretty much like we banned Emnergency Managers last year, and the GOP and Snyder had a bill already written to reinstate them, which they passed posthaste last December, a few weeks after the election. The GOP is just evil, and the sooner we rid government of them, the better for the USA. Otherwise, we will soon be third world in more than just educational achievement.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned in an earlier comment section I wrote my representative, McCready R(Bloomfield hills, Birmingham and West Bloomfield) and his response is his plans to vote for it because "individuals who do not approve of the procedure, for religious or moral reasons, should not be required to pay for the service in an insurance policy."
ReplyDeleteI also asked why isn't there a rider for viagra and he chose to ignore it.
I wish I had thought of the idea, let the rapists pay for the insurance. Keep in mind this is for all abortions, even if the mothers health is at risk, so any women of child bearing age will have to have this insurance,pay out pocket or die.
I am so furious that the minority is dictating to the majority, since I am sure it will past because of the rethugs in the legislature,
We need to vote more sane females into office in all states. I thought transvaginal probes (even if you close your eyes) was crazy, but comparing rape to a car accident and offering insurance?
ReplyDeleteThe men who thought this one up should undergo trans urethral probes with very thin and sharp crochet hooks, then offer them insurance for that.
Do people stay up at night thinking of ways to control and torture victims of crime who happen to be female? Do any of these people have female children? Do they have consciences?