Sebelius: 'Men Often Do Need Maternity Care'

During Wednesday’s congressional testimony, a heated exchange occurred between Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius over one of the still-unexploded controversies in the ObamaCare law: the fact that ObamaCare’s so-called “robust” coverage is in reality your government forcing you to pay for coverage that includes expensive services millions will never need. Ellmers called Sebelius out specifically for forcing men to buy maternity coverage.

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Ellmers: You also brought up the issue that when you were in Kansas [as health Commissioner and governor] that you fought against discriminatory issues… As far as [ObamaCare’s] essential health benefits, correct me if I’m wrong: do men not have to buy maternity care?

Sebelius: Policies will cover maternity coverage. For the young and healthy, uh, under ythirty year-olds will have a choice also of a catastrophic plan that has no maternity coverage.

Ellmers: But men are required to purchase maternity coverage.

Sebelius: Well, an insurance policy has a series of benefits whether you use them or not…

Ellmers: And that is why health care premiums are increasing, because we are forcing them to buy things that they will never need. Thank you.

Sebelius: The individual policies cover families. Men often do need maternity care for their spouses and for their families, yes.

Ellmers: A single male, aged 32, does need maternity coverage. To the best of your knowledge, has a man ever delivered a baby?

Hopefully other Republicans will start to talk more about the injustice of raising insurance rates on the middle class by forcing them to pay for coverage they will never need.

Tuesday night, NBC News told the story of a small businessman who lost the insurance Obama promised him he could keep and is seeing his premiums explode by 400% under ObamaCare. Part of the reason is that he is being forced to pay for maternity care.

His wife is 59-years-old.

 

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