Experts Refuse to Join Obama Administration’s IPAB Death Panel

 

by Tony Perkins

 

Apparently, serving on a government “death panel” isn’t exactly topping people’s bucket lists.

This week, the Washington Post explained that ObamaCare’s 15-member “rationing panel” has hit a bit of a snag: no one wants to join it. The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) was one of the most controversial parts of the President’s legislation–mainly because it puts 15 unelected strangers in charge of health decisions for most Americans.

In the name of “cost-certainty,” IPAB would have the authority to limit which specialists you see, what treatments are available, and in some cases, whether you’re eligible for care at all.

 Still, the pressure of cutting costs without affecting care isn’t exactly a health industry dream job. “You’re joining an organization that has uncertain authority with the certainty of being deeply political and widely criticized,” said Bob Kocher, a former Obama advisor. “It doesn’t make sense for current thought leaders in American health care to want to do this.”

Even Jonathan Gruber, who helped pass ObamaCare, wants no part of it. “No way,” he told reporters.

 Unfortunately for Americans, the next best thing to IPAB is just as frightening. If the panel remains unfilled–and Congress doesn’t find an alternative–the power would transfer over to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who would have the authority to implement her own cost-cutting measures without any accountability whatsoever. How many of you would want Kathleen Sebelius sitting at the controls when you have a health condition?

Not me–and certainly not House Republicans. Earlier this month, as part of a rules package, the House voted not to comply with any Medicare cuts that IPAB recommends (which would lead to the rationing conservatives warned about). Although the GOP is desperately trying to block the Board from injecting itself in doctor-patient care, it isn’t likely to change much. Still, good on conservatives for chipping away at the credibility of this and other ObamaCare provisions! Eventually, the rest of the country may catch on and elect leaders who would repeal the law altogether.

Tony Perkins is the president of the Family Research Council.

Proposal to amend ObamaCare contraceptive rule met with skepticism

Conservative and religious groups panned the Obama administration's long-awaited "accommodation" meant to spare religious-affiliated groups from the so-called contraceptive mandate, calling a proposal unveiled Friday "radically inadequate."

Cont. Reading

Pro-Life Reflections for February 2

Reflection:

God Himself is fruitful.  Love always overflows into life.  By commanding us as a human family to be fruitful, God is commanding us to be like Him.

He wants us to share the joy He has of giving new life.  God's Word counts fertility as a great belssing and sign of His favor.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for the gift of fertility.  Help those who are trying to conceive. Give them the blessing and joy of new life.

New HHS Mandate Rules Force Hobby Lobby, Any Religious Biz to Comply

The Obama administration released new HHS mandate rules today that attempt to expand the number of religious groups that can opt out of the pro-abortion mandate — but that leaves religiously-run companies like Hobby Lobby out in the cold. Pro-life advocates oppose the mandate because it forces religious groups to pay for birth control and drugs that may cause abortions.

Thanks to a number of decisions in court related to lawsuits filed against the mandate by dozens of religious businesses and organizations, the Obama administration is under court order to revise the mandate. But the proposed changes don’t protect everyone who wants to opt out.

Although the proposed revisions provide some additional protections for religiously-affiliated organizations, companies owned and operated by people with religious objections to the mandate are not included in the expanded exemption rules.

“Today, the administration is taking the next step in providing women across the nation with coverage of recommended preventive care at no cost, while respecting religious concerns,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “We will continue to work with faith-based organizations, women’s organizations, insurers and others to achieve these goals.”

But the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty,  a pro-life legal group representing Hobby Lobby, told LifeNews the proposed changes would still force the company to comply with the mandate.

“Today’s proposed rule does nothing to protect the religious liberty of millions of Americans. The rights of family businesses like Hobby Lobby are still being violated,” Kyle Duncan, General Counsel for The Becket Fund For Religious Liberty, said.

He said, “The Becket Fund continues to study what effect, if any, the Administration’s proposed rule has on the many lawsuits on behalf of non-profit religious organizations like Ave Maria University, Belmont Abbey College, Colorado Christian University, East Texas Baptist University, EWTN, Houston Baptist University, and Wheaton College.”

story continues here 

related article 

Even TIME Magazine Admits That Pro-Abortionists Are Losing!

January 14, 2013 Cover Story: “40 years ago, abortion-rights activists won an epic victory with Roe v. Wade. They've been losing ever since." While this TIME cover article isn’t available to non-subscribers, pro-life blogger extraordinaire Jill Stanek has written an overview with excerpts of the article’s major points. Read her post to see why we have reason to be encouraged, including the fact that more and more young people are becoming pro-life.

Jill Stanek's post on the Time Magazine Cover Story

MPs Call for Probe as 491 Babies Left to Die After Abortions

Members of the Canadian Parliament has called for a probe into the figures from a story LifeNews broke showing 491 babies have been born alive and subsequently left to die following failed abortions.

Figures from Statistics Canada, a federal government agency, show 491 babies were born alive following botched abortions during the period from 2000-2009 and left to die afterwards. The numbers have pro-life advocates up in arms.

In the days after the revelations, 4,600 emails were sent to the House of Commons in the four days following the story alone.

WeNeedaLAW.ca director, Mike Schouten said, “Canadians are rightly concerned with Canada’s lack of legal protection for pre-born children, and have taken that concern to new levels as they observe the erosion of protection for born children.”

“Canadians are rightly concerned with Canada’s lack of legal protection for pre-born children, and have taken that concern to new levels as they observe the erosion of protection for born children,” he told LifeNews. “491 children, already born, have been left to die and we have not heard anything from our justice system, political leaders, or mainstream media. What is going on?”

continue reading here 

 

Original article here

National Organization for Marriage Criticizes President's Decision to Divide Nation Over Marriage on Inauguration Day

Washington, D.C. — Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), criticized President Obama’s decision to use his Inauguration Day address to further divide the nation on the question of what is marriage. The President chose to make a veiled reference to redefine marriage when he said "our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law."

"Gay and lesbian people are already treated equally under the law," Brian Brown responded. "They have the same civil rights as anyone else; they have the right to live as they wish and love whom they choose. What they don’t have is the right to redefine marriage for all of society. In fact, six federal courts have rejected the idea that there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court in a summary decision in 1972. Furthermore, that vast majority of states have codified the commonsense view held for thousands of years that marriage is the union of a man and a woman. The President is profoundly wrong to imply that those who have acted to protect marriage have denied anyone's rights by doing so."

Brown continued: "A presidential inauguration should be a time for the nation to come together; instead President Obama chose to voice his support for a radical agenda advanced by some of his biggest campaign contributors to redefine marriage for everyone. Marriage brings our nation together. The concept of gay ‘marriage’ would have been totally alien to our founding fathers, and the protection and advancement of marriage between one man and one woman will immeasurably serve the common good of this country and further strengthen our Union. Today the President should have thrown his support behind this beautiful vision of men and women coming together in love to raise the next generation. Nonetheless, we pro-marriage Americans pledge to defend the institution which the President has chosen to undermine once again."

FRC Files Amicus Briefs in Prop 8, DOMA

Family Research Council (FRC) and the Thomas More Society (TMS) of Chicago, Illinois, today announced the filing of amicus briefs opposing the lower court decisions in the two marriage cases the U.S. Supreme Court will hear in late March, 2013. Hollingsworth v. Perry comes to the Court out of the Proposition 8 litigation in California. United States v. Windsor involves a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and arose out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

... Of the cases FRC President Tony Perkins said:

"The health of our nation's families determines the strength of our nation. Redefining marriage only undermines the societal purpose of marriage which has always been to build healthy families and provide children with both a mom and a dad.

"The Supreme Court must strike down the lower court decisions against the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8. DOMA was completely appropriate in 1996, when it passed bipartisanly through Congress and was signed by Democratic President Bill Clinton. The uniformity in federal law it creates by explicitly confirming that 'marriage' would be between one man and one woman for federal purposes ensures equal treatment under law for all Americans. Americans have overwhelmingly decided to uphold this definition of marriage, as a significant majority of states in the U.S. consider marriage to be between one man and one woman.

"Additionally, we believe the people's vote on Proposition 8 should be respected. It is the constitutional right of the people to create their own state laws where the federal Constitution has not already ruled. Activist courts like the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit should not overturn the vote of the people. We hope the Supreme Court will recognize the right of voters to uphold natural marriage as the law of their state," concluded Perkins.

New Gosnell Documentary Is a Must-Watch Film

An excellent new documentary offers an informative look at the atrocities of the Kermit Gosnell abortion center in Philadelphia.

The short film "3801 Lancaster" shows clips from the grand jury report and interviews with women who had abortions at Gosnell's center. Gosnell is expected to stand trial this spring for the murder of a woman and seven newborn babies.


                                     

Learn more about this film here

Minus Five: Pa. Sees Drop in Abortion Centers

 

The number of surgical abortion facilities in the state dropped in the past year, according to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Previously, there were 22 abortion centers operating in Pennsylvania. Now there are only 17.

  

This occurred after passage of the landmark abortion center regulation bill, Act 122. The Pa. Pro-Life Federation legislative team was instrumental in the passage of this ground-breaking bill.

  

It is our fervent hope that fewer abortion facilities will mean fewer abortions in Pennsylvania.

 

Inquirer article on this subject here