Catholics believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege: Catholics for Choice

Jon O'Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, issued the following statement on healthcare reform:

"As Congress returns from the summer recess, we hope that we will soon see an honest and productive debate on truly comprehensive healthcare reform that leads to positive changes in healthcare accessibility for women and men in the United States.

"Catholics believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. However, our vision for healthcare reform is different than the U.S. bishops and their conservative allies, who seek to marginalize issues of reproductive health - as if people's reproductive health can be separated from their overall health. People in the United States need coverage of reproductive healthcare services, and efforts to deny this coverage based on the opinions of a small but vocal minority are unjust.

"Catholics for Choice's position on the integration of reproductive healthcare into overall healthcare reform calls for the inclusion of five main areas of sexual and reproductive health in any reform proposal: contraception, abortion, assisted reproductive technology, pre- and postnatal care, and HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.

• We believe that contraception should not just be affordable, it should be free.
• We believe that abortion should be federally funded and covered by all insurance companies.
• We believe that all men and women should be able to access affordable assisted reproductive technology services.
• We believe that women who choose to continue their pregnancy should have access to quality pre- and postnatal care.
• We believe that access to HIV prevention, care and treatment should be covered.

"The time has come to focus this debate on people's healthcare needs, not the agenda of a minority lobby, and make room for common sense reform that will truly benefit everyone in the United States. Catholics support healthcare policies that take care of the whole person, including his or her reproductive health, and will support their Senators and Representatives who take a stand on this important issue."