Health care plan with Catholic tenets offered to federal employees
 

"The Bush administration has broken new ground in its "faith-based" initiative, this time by offering federal employees a Catholic health plan that specifically excludes payment for contraceptives, abortion, sterilization and artificial insemination."

From the New York Times (registration might be required)

Discuss.

This bothers me, because as the article said, they can use other plans, but this is the only health savings account they can have. That doesn't seem fair to deny access through your HSA to goods and services which are still completely legal.

FWIW, lots of employers are electing not to have contraception as a covered benefit that have nothing to do with Catholicism. (of course Viagra is still covered, but that's another issue)

I'd have to see what the other available plans are offering to see how much of a big deal it is that they don't have flexible spending anywhere else. Again, having nothing to do with Catholicism, some employers put such restrictions on their FSAs that they're more of a pain in the ass then they're worth.

Insurance on the weekend, yuk!! :p

Did you even read the article? We're all aware that not all insurers cover contraception. NONE of them do it for "religious reasons." This is the only FSA that they are offered.

This article--and this plan--mention the Church specifically. That's why the Church is relevant to the article.

Yes, I read the article. Don't get snippy. That's why I said "for what it's worth" so no one else looking at the topic would think this is something unusual to this health plan, or to this FSA. I think it sucks to deny it in any circumstance, but in a way I'd rather see someone doing it because of their beliefs (whether I agree with them or not) instead of because they are a cheap bastard who doesn't care what's best for their employees.

Again, are federal employees at all locations offered a choice between this plan or another plan (through Aetna, Blue Cross, whoever), and what do the other plans cover and does it make up for not having flex spending. Those are questions that aren't being answered.

Good point. Even if you take "the Church out" of the situation, Plan A had a FSA and Plan B doesn't. By choosing PlanB, I am denied that service of a FSA. I'm sure each plans its it pros and cons.

Health insurance is just complicated like that nowadays.

Shoot, I work for a healthcare system and we have one plan that has FSA (that I HATE) and does not. You've just got to find what works or make it work.