HR 3200 - Prayer is Not Medical Care

Sign the Petition : 1,042 Letters and Emails Sent So Far

Tucked into the health care reform bill passed by Sen. Harkin’s Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee is a mandate that insurers reimburse for “religious or spiritual health care” that is classified as a deductible medical care expense by the Internal Revenue Service. See S.1679, Section 3103(a)(1)(D).

The House Energy and Commerce Committee on which Congressman Bruce Braley sits has added a similar measure to the House health care reform bill. See Section 125 of HR3200.

If the federal government forces the insurance industry to pay for prayer, the Christian Science church and other faith healing practitioners will use the federal law as another argument that Christian Science “treatment” or prayer should be a legal substitute for medical care of sick children.

Between 1 and 5 children currently die in the United States, per month, from religiously-motivated medical neglect. If the Congress passes into law these provisions equating prayer with medical care, this number will surely increase.

There will be more laws like West Virginia’s religious defense to fatal neglect of a child when parents withhold medical care and instead rely on prayer-treatment “if fees and expenses incurred in connection with such treatment are permitted to be deducted from taxable income as ‘medical expenses’ pursuant to regulations or rules promulgated by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. (West Virginia Code 61-8D-4a(b)).

Iowa’s religious defense to felony child endangerment and manslaughter at Iowa Code 726.6(d) has been justified on similar grounds.

The government should not be forcing anyone to pay for prayer. We urge Congress to remove all provisions in the health care reform bills that require insurers to reimburse for prayer or any other “health care” that is not evidence-based.		HR 3200 - Prayer is Not Medical Care

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People signing the "HR 3200 - Prayer is Not Medical Care" petition!

  1. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 3:53 PM    link Daniel U. | Lancaster, CA

    These provisions are absurd. Allowing religion these sort of political footholds will be a step backwards towards the church-ruled dark ages. Fatal child endangerment should be severely punished, not rewarded with my tax money, ESPECIALLY if it's the result of the ignorance and stupidity of religious parents.

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  3. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 3:22 PM    link Jonathan C. | Lexington, MA

  4. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 3:06 PM    link Matthew B. | Montgomery, AL

    If it's not evidence based, it's magic. ---Student Doctor of Physical Therapy.

  5. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  6. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 2:19 PM    link Suzanne M. | Carlisle, PA

  7. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 1:44 PM    link Brian T. | Indianapolis, IN

  8. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 1:09 PM    link Damian P. | Carteret, NJ

    Are voodoo witch doctors going be covered in this? What about scientologist Emeter auditing? Will it provide human flesh for cannibals? What a load of blatherskite and balderdash.

  9. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  10. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 1:05 PM    link John M. | Pittsburgh, PA

  11. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 12:42 PM    link Maria R. | Warner Robins, GA

  12. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 12:22 PM    link Cody H. | Tomball, TX

    Those people should go to prison.

  13. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  14. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 12:16 PM    link Francisco H. | Odessa, TX

  15. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 12:15 PM    link ammon j. | Tacoma, WA

  16. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 12:12 PM    link Kevin B. | Bloomington, IN

  17. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 11:25 AM    link Name not displayed | Rockford, IL

    This is ridiculous. We live in a ridiculous country when this kind of thing is even considered.

  18. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  19. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 11:21 AM    link Lindsay P. | Lawrence, KS

    I'm not comfortable with the government blurring the line of church and state even more than it already is.

  20. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  21. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 11:15 AM    link Renée C. | ,

  22. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 11:12 AM    link Name not displayed | Knoxville, TN

  23. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 11:09 AM    link Gregory W. | South Windsor, CT

    Kill God, save children.

  24. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  25. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 11:09 AM    link Joshua L. | Tipton, IA

  26. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 11:06 AM    link Steven K. | Altamonte Springs, FL

  27. Fri., Mar. 12, 2010 11:02 AM    link dirk w. | Beverly Hills, CA

    Prayer is Not Medical Care

  28. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

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