Christian Scientists Condemn Government Demand for Health Care Plan to Include Medicine
By David Epstein
BOSTON – Leading figures in the Church of Christ, Scientist, are in an uproar over new federal government regulations that would require the health care plan offered by the Church to its lay employees to cover medicine and doctors’ visits.
Religious figures in the Church are arguing that these requirements are a direct assault on their religious freedom to force their employees to forgo all modern forms of healthcare.
The imbroglio erupted last week when the Health and Human Services Department released a draft version of new health care regulations. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, HHS has the authority to determine the base level of coverage that all health care plans must provide. These minimums include annual check-ups, non-elective surgery, vaccinations, and prescription medication.
Christian Scientists largely reject modern medicine, and instead rely on prayer to heal the sick. Spokesman James Karen of the Church of Christ, Scientist said, “Under the First Amendment, we have a right to practice our religion without interference from the government. Who is some government bureaucrat in Washington to tell us that prayer can’t help a man suffering from a massive heart attack?” The Church’s stance in this debate is that the government should not have the right to issue regulations when they might conflict with the views of a certain religious order.
Karen went on to say, “Because forcing health care plans to cover medicine is a violation of the century-long teachings of our Church, it is our position that the government should cease enforcement of this regulation for everyone.”
It is unclear at this point if the administration will back down from the proposed draft regulations. The administration would not wish to be seen as attacking religious freedom, especially in an election year, however some pundits have suggested that the administration purposely inflated their intentions in order to stir up their base and will soon retreat to a more moderate position.
Yet there are already inklings of a compromise. On Monday, Church officials indicated that if the administration backed down on requiring coverage of doctor’s visits, the Church might allow sporadic coverage of Tylenol.
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Posted by David Epstein
on Feb 15 2012. Filed under Headlines.
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