Johanns, Hatch Spearhead Letter to HHS on Womens Preventive Services Mandates
<p><location value="LU/us.dc.wash" idsrc="xmltag.org">WASHINGTON</location>, <chron>Oct. 6</chron> -- The office of Sen. <person>Mike Johanns</person>, R-<location value="LS/us.ne" idsrc="xmltag.org">Neb.</location>, issued the following news release:</p><p>U.S. Senators <person>Orrin Hatch</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.ut" idsrc="xmltag.org">Utah</location>), <person>Mike Johanns</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.ne" idsrc="xmltag.org">Nebraska</location>), and 26 of their <org>Senate</org> colleagues have written to Health and Human Services Secretary <person>Kathleen Sebelius</person> to press her on the constitutional concerns associated with the <org>Department of Health</org> and Human Services (HHS) implementation of the <org>Institute of Medicine's</org> (IOM) recommendations for preventive health services mandates. The action is a follow-up to a letter Sebelius received in July on this issue in which she failed to sufficiently address the questions asked.</p><p>In July, IOM issued a report entitled "Clinical Preventive Services for Women: Closing the Gaps," which recommended which preventive services should be mandated for health insurance plans. These mandates are an affront to the rights to life, religious liberty, and personal conscience.</p><p>In the letter, the Senators wrote that they are concerned "with the lack of due consideration given by [Sebelius] and your Department to the adverse impact that IOM's recommendations would have on our core constitutional value of religious liberty." The Senators added that "[t]hough the IFRs' 'religious exemption' purports to protect religious organizations, health care professionals, and health care plans, it is clear that this protection falls well short of securing this constitutional right."</p><p>In addition to Sens. Hatch and Johanns, the letter to Secretary Sebelius was signed by Sens. <person>Marco Rubio</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.fl" idsrc="xmltag.org">Florida</location>), <person>Roy Blunt</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.mo" idsrc="xmltag.org">Missouri</location>), <person>Kay Bailey Hutchison</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location>), <person>Pat Toomey</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.pa" idsrc="xmltag.org">Pennsylvania</location>), <person>Ron Johnson</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.wi" idsrc="xmltag.org">Wisconsin</location>), <person>Dan Coats</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.in" idsrc="xmltag.org">Indiana</location>), <person>Jim Risch</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.id" idsrc="xmltag.org">Idaho</location>), <person>Rand Paul</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.ky" idsrc="xmltag.org">Kentucky</location>), <person>Jon Kyl</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.az" idsrc="xmltag.org">Arizona</location>), <person>Jerry Moran</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.ks" idsrc="xmltag.org">Kansas</location>), <person>John Cornyn</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location>), <person>John McCain</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.az" idsrc="xmltag.org">Arizona</location>), <person>Rob Portman</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.oh" idsrc="xmltag.org">Ohio</location>), <person>John Boozman</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.ar" idsrc="xmltag.org">Arkansas</location>), <person>Tom Coburn</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.ok" idsrc="xmltag.org">Oklahoma</location>), and <person>Kelly Ayotte</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.nh" idsrc="xmltag.org">New Hampshire</location>), <person>David Vitter</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.la" idsrc="xmltag.org">Louisiana</location>), <person>Pat Roberts</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.ks" idsrc="xmltag.org">Kansas</location>), <person>Johnny Isakson</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.ga" idsrc="xmltag.org">Georgia</location>), <person>John Hoeven</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.nd" idsrc="xmltag.org">North Dakota</location>), <person>Mike Crapo</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.id" idsrc="xmltag.org">Idaho</location>), <person>John Thune</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.sd" idsrc="xmltag.org">South Dakota</location>), <person>Lindsey Graham</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.sc" idsrc="xmltag.org">South Carolina</location>), <person>Mike Enzi</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.wy" idsrc="xmltag.org">Wyoming</location>), <person>Chuck Grassley</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.ia" idsrc="xmltag.org">Iowa</location>), and <person>Jim Inhofe</person> (R-<location value="LS/us.ok" idsrc="xmltag.org">Oklahoma</location>).</p><p>Full text of the letter can be found here. (<a href="http://johanns.senate.gov/public/?a=Files.Serve&File_id=063f9f8c-2518-49bd-8141-a96caf224639">http://johanns.senate.gov/public/?a=Files.Serve&File_id=063f9f8c-2518-49bd-8141-a96caf224639</a>)</p><p>TNS MD66 MD66 111007-3619502 61MariaDonald</p>
AHIP Statement on IOM Report on Essential Health Benefits
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News