House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was hosted by Rabbi Moshe Margereten of Tzedek on Wednesday, with the pair discussing various topics and issues, most notably groundbreaking legislation to combat infertility.
Speaker McCarthy made the stop as he was in the area to attend a fundraiser for Congressman Marc Molinaro. Also in attendance were DA Brian Conaty, as well as JCC of Sullivan County representatives Sender Portugal, Mattis Rutner and Abe Rosenberg.
The productive meeting took place in Monticello, New York, with Rabbi Margereten outlining the importance of legislation that would force private health insurance companies to pay for infertility treatments – as health insurance companies do across the West.
Currently, infertility treatments are paid out-of-pocket, and the expenses are exorbitant. Tzedek says it is pushing for insurance companies and government programs to pay for these treatments in three phases.
The first phase will see infertility treatment included in the category of “medical necessities,” amending ERISA and requiring commercial insurance companies to cover these treatments.
The second will see general marketplace insurance companies be pressed into doing the same so they can be eligible for the Obamacare exchanges.
The final stage will be convincing Medicaid to follow the market and cover these vital services.
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6 Responses
While overall a noble idea, requiring insurance to cover this service will lead to insurances being required to cover it for rainbow “couples” as well leading to mass situations of children being conceived into non family situations. At least now, those “families” are required to have substantial amounts of money in order to try to buy kids…
ohrchadash1:
And after contemplating this dilemma, you came up with what? Lemaysah!!! Zeh lUmas Zeh Ussoh Elokim! If tayerah yiddishe kinder are screaming for help to be zoiche to have children, there are NO cheshbonos!
If you want to speak about the country and social fairness, it’s another issue but this whole rainbow shmainbow concern and concern about bad apples, is not a strong enough argument!
The Republican base is vehemently opposed to this. Will McCarthy have the courage to do the right thing anyway? Stay tuned.
to ohrchadash1
So you want to throw out the baby with the bath water. Very silly
As someone who suffered for years with infertility and paid out many, many thousands of dollars for treatments, I must say that still ohrchodosh has a point. Don’t kid yourself, out of town frum dayschools are already dealing with children conceived because their unmarried mothers decided to conceive children this way and they too will end up needing ch”v to deal with what he is saying if such legislation. Don’t kid yourself just because you live in an insular society.
chaya13:
I can respect your view but we can agree to disagree:
The mitzvah overrides your concerns. It’s one of the basic and fundamental mitzvos! There is no greater pain and I’m surprised that as a mother going through such suffering should say what you say!
You maybe had some financial support and obviously was able to do this without going to a poor house c”v. If you took community funding, the question is stronger but since I don’t know if you did or not, I won’t make a point.
Basically, Bonei Olam, raises good money from K”Y for treating and managing the entire situation of a woman “needing” children! Why should we take money if we can get funding? I assume it won’t cover 100% but whatever we can get “legally”, takes a burden off society! Actually B”O will only do certain treatments if it involves a couple!
Just because people abuse it and just because there’s a potential problem, it shouldn’t be funded? We’re not talking about luxuries! Expensive weddings, etc… We’re talking about yiddeshe neshamas and their pain! How can you? I’m more hurt that you don’t show compassion than the entire situation!!! RBS”O, how low can one sink???