Texas judge rules covering Prep and HIV treatment under Obamacare violates employer’s religious freedom.

Religious companies have more rights& freedoms than Human beings.

This is the beginning, it's what the Rethugs& The Federalist Society have planned since Roe was made into law in 1973. They got the President(dtrump) and Fag-boy(I love my Chinese lesbian wife) Mcconnell. and the Neo-Nazi SC of their dreams. The Republicans did exactly what they said they were going to do!!!

The bitter judgmental Maiden Aunt Brigade of DL supports the judge's ruling.

Fuck that

God wants me to hate you!!!

This is my opinion on this, and contraception, and abortion coverage, etc… requiring companies to cover such things against their will is a violation of their religious rights. And, it is a clear reason why healthcare should NOT be tied to employment.

Yeah, but like who cares. We have to vote Republican because some Sweeney person got mean tweets from liberals due to her mom's party, a 20yo wants to be called "they" and woke casting! Priorities, people!

I hope no one obsessed with shrieking "both sides!" and "This is why Trump won" is surprised by this.

Fucking so-called "moderates" enabled this. Congratulations on being so focused on the "far-left" when you couldn't even point to actual legislation to back up your obsession, and the right-wing will continue to do this. ALL of the right-wing.

[quote]And, it is a clear reason why healthcare should NOT be tied to employment.

Wow, you're an idiot.

R7 why? Why should healthcare be tied to employment?

R8, how does it help an employer to have a sick pool of people from which to hire? Healthcare is not a "luxury," it's a necessity. It actually benefits an employer to provide healthcare. The actual problem is the healthcare industry and their lobbyists. When a hospital gets to charge insurance $200 for a tylenol, that's the problem.

What religion is against protecting against diseases?

I missed that one in the Bible.

R7, funny how other countries manage to give people free Healthcare instead of making them get it through a job

Medical practice should be between the employEE and their medical provider. EmployERS need to butt out. Frankly, it may be against a tenet of medical practice to do no harm for a provider to NOT prescribe PREP to a person deemed at high risk of HIV infection.

Steve was weak! Say it! STEVE WAS WEAK!! SAY IT!! (arm curled back grasping bible ready to bitch slap anyone with it who disagrees).

I’m sure idiots like Susan Sarandon is happy.

So how does this work? Businesses look at what you’re getting treatment for and say no?

Whores are NOT rejoicing!

R15 it prob means employers carefully evaluate plans they purchase/provide to employees and make sure that PREP is not covered by those plans. They wouldn’t be asking employees, and it wouldn’t prevent a doctor prescribing it. The employee would be expected to pay the cash price for the medications at the pharmacy. It’s a way of keeping homos from working for you…..because of “Jesus”

This has nothing to do with religion and everything with attempting to have “Christian” owned corporations (a dichotomy if I ever saw one) who don’t want to cover chronic illness care and management costs, to move to Texas.

This shit is NEVER about actual religion. Religion is used as the reason or excuse, but most of these GOP members and CEOs , give zero fucks about religion, at least the one they claim.

These people worship MONEY. How to take it away from you and me, while barely paying taxes is all they wanna do, 24/7/365.

There is an easy fix to this. Switzerland does it. Switzerland has private insurance but everyone must have insurance. It's not through the employer. Anyway, the federal government publishes a list every year of all the treatments and medicines that MUST be covered by every plan, including the most "basic" plan. It's that easy.

There is no way that it is ethically defensible to refuse HIV treatment.

The US should publish the list and be done with this. No insurance company can refuse the basic care to protect and recover health.

Deductibles are another issue, of course.

Hillary Clinton proposed the Swiss "private" system to Congress when she was First Lady and they laughed her off the hill. It's the easiest fix to the broken US system because it retains the "private industry" focus that Americans deem palatable.

Theologically, you can't tie this to the same moral exemption as birth control and abortion- by allowing the spread of HIV, you're effectively promoting the murder you claim to want to stop by forbidding abortion.

They lose this on religious grounds.

SOMEONE IN TEXAS SUE THAT THIS INVALIDATES THE ABORTION RESTRICTIONS. The language has to be there.

Viagra should not be available to single men and married men should need their wife's permission.

Also, Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Close everything on Sunday, especially Football. Close all the strip bars and outlaw shellfish.

And no divorce.

Keeping healthcare linked to employment forces everyone into the plan(s) the employer chooses. The employer actually takes money that would have been salary and chooses the plan that he thinks is best.

It would be way better if I could take my money and buy the plan I want (If we stay in the stupid system where we each have to pay individual way).

Prep is Dead To Me.

...and your HIV pos friends too.

So it's time for LGBT business to stop funding Breeders with free birth control, Viagra and maternity leave. They do nothing except bring unwanted children into a world that is over populated. 7.7 Billion is enough. We do not support this destruction to the planet just so Deplorables can bring carbon copies into the world. Of course realizing gay men do not reproduce, and are rare gifts to society, both gay and lesbians would be exempt from these restrictions.

[quote]Theologically, you can't tie this to the same moral exemption as birth control and abortion- by allowing the spread of HIV, you're effectively promoting the murder you claim to want to stop by forbidding abortion.

That's not how American Christianity works, we all know that. This is a religion based, not on principles, but on feelings, specially rage against outsiders. You can't appeal to their sense of humanity, let alone reason, because American Christians have none. They're rabid animals. They can only be fought, not appeased or enlightened.

Isn't it odd that they forgot that there are many straight people who also have HIV?

The real question here is why is PREP so damn expensive?

It costs 50 cents in other countries.

America has been getting screwed by the Rx companies for far too long now. They are out of control.

Welcome to America r29? You just discovered this? It's been an issued for decades!

I don't know why people say these rulings we're seeing on things like prayer on a football field or women's health are about "religious freedom" when it's about Christian dominance, because we all know if a coach pulled out a prayer rug facing Mecca, the Supreme Court would have a different opinion. And Muslims and Jews have more lenient beliefs on abortion than these Christians.

R29 you know the answer why. USA = Dillinger Capitalism.

Gilead branded PREP (Truvada) (so not even generic) is 30 Euros in Spanish pharmacies. So not 50cents but 1 euro a day.

The same bottle is $2k in the USA. (branded Gilead PREP). Generic is 30-60.

[quote]Gilead

The irony...

Are there health insurance plans that don’t cover it? How can your employer know what you’re being treated for or with?

R35, when the company is big enough, it can dictate what it wants in a plan. Ironically, keeping certain medicines and procedures out can make costs go up because has to create a new specific plan which has a smaller group of people paying into it than its other plans.

It is FAR more expensive paying for HIV medicines than to pay for a prevention like PrEP.

If these free market conservatives really believed any of their own BS about saving money and cost cutting and lowering budgets they would support almost all of the 'prevention before cure' measures. It's always cheaper to prevent than to go to the expense of curing or dealing with a problem once it exists.

The generic HIV medicine is the same price as generic PrEP.

American health insurance is bizarre.

HIV treatment in South Africa costs the state $60 a YEAR, for the good drugs.

Drug companies make a killing of of American money and congress does absolutely nothing to stop it.

The price of BIKTARVY, a first line tritherapy, is $3.5K - 4.5K per MONTH in USA.

I am surprised that Texas doesn't FORCE all gays to take PREP, and pocket a percentage of the enormous cost.

R43, of course no one pays that. Insurance companies negotiate prices. The fact that we have so many insurance companies means that none has the power to negotiate that much.

If we had universal healthcare, the govt could negotiate a much better rate, as European countries do

They aren't paying 100 bucks a month, though.

The second highest prices 1165.85are in Switzerland and they are outrageous.

This is because Switzerland and USA are big Pharma central. Germany has Pharma but Germany is successfully socialized.

The price of of first line HIV drugs in Switzerland is 1K - 2.5K monthly and the insurance companies ARE paying that price.

These holy rollers have more skeletons in their closets than anyone. And they're just mean, what's godly about that?

sorry for my typo. so BIKTARVY for example is 1165.85 in Switzerland. Double the price of France at € 656,68.

Lets review. Rich Europe - 650. Rich Switzerland - 1200. - Rich USA - The sky is limit but I can imagine 2.8K monthly.

Texas is a disgusting cesspool

Americans are generally kept in the dark about their exceptional position. Instead, they are encouraged to be outraged and divided on tertiary issues such as race, religion, culture wars, xenophobia, etc.

Denial of PREP and HIV probably isn't about money in Texas, I disagree with the above. It is ABOUT culture wars and signaling to voting blocks.

sorry. denial of PREP and HIV MEDS.....

Does anything good for the country actually ever come out of Texas? All they're good for seems to be licking GOP ass and trying to undermine/undercut and steal away talent from better states.

The gesture is fascist. Just like Uncle Joe says. GAYS, LEZZIES AND FUCKING QUEERS - OUT!!!! BAD!!! JEWS - BAD!! Latin Americans - BAD! MUSLIMS - OUT - BAD! BLACKS - EVIL AND BAD AND OUT!!!!!!!!! HONEST HISTORY - OUT!!!!! CIVIL RIGHTS - FOR FAGGOT PINKOS!!!!! ABORTION = MURDERING HEATHEN DEVIL WORSHIPPERS

R47, this judge is probably busy blowing farmhands like that freak in Wisconsin

Does the medicine say FOR GAYSONLY? If a hetero has HIV can they use Prep? If so, this judge might have a challenge

[quote]Theologically, you can't tie this to the same moral exemption as birth control and abortion- by allowing the spread of HIV, you're effectively promoting the murder you claim to want to stop by forbidding abortion.

Their view is that they're simply allowing individuals to face the wages of their "sin" -- whether it's homosexuality or having sex without being open to the possibility of children. Offenders must be forced to live (and die) with the consequences of their behavior.

"Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

I guess they think that if PREP isn't available then gay men will just live a life of celibacy... Nice logic there

No, they hope gay men will get HIV and die, since they're not going to cover treatment medications, either.

R9 who gives a fuck as to what benefits an employer? My ability to get healthcare shouldn't depend on my ability to work.

PrEP ENCOURAGES HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR!!!!!!!

R60, so do harpy Jesus-y frauen!

[quote]Isn't it odd that they forgot that there are many straight people who also have HIV?

This is what I find odd. The ACA requires a $0 co-payment for multiple preventative medications. I don’t see the religious objection to this drug. HIV is a virus in the end that will infect anyone, and while it usually is transmitted by sex, it isn’t the only way. On top of that, there are other meds (most recently metaformin) that is used as a “preventative” to a disease that is almost entirely avoidable (Type II - not type 1 - diabeties).

Same could be said for the low dose high blood pressure meds, aspirin, etc.

Businesses shouldn’t have religions. Medical care is between the employee and his/her medical providers. This is getting scary.

[quote]I don’t see the religious objection to this drug.

Are you unfamiliar with Republican-style Christianity?

Dog whistling. Hate the gays. Most middle of the road people don't get too worked up when the GOP dog whistles to the conservative and the far right.

Conservatives, always wrong about everything, every time.

[quote]No, they hope gay men will get HIV and die, since they're not going to cover treatment medications, either.

Did they say that in the reporting or you're just speculating? No judgment if you are, I wouldnt put it past them to come for treatment meds eventually.

Just speculation, R67.

But since this judge agreed with the plaintiffs that requiring religious employers to provide coverage for PrEP would “facilitate and encourage homosexual behavior, prostitution, sexual promiscuity, and intravenous drug use," I don’t think it’s a big leap. Drugs that make HIV untransmissible also “facilitate homosexual behavior.”

This gayfaced guy is the one who initiated the case that led to the ruling

R69 What an ugly closet faced cunt!

Of course gays have no recourse because all of our advocacy groups are 1000% trans. Trannies are why there’s such a backlash against us again. They think we’re the ones who want to castrate children, change the English language, and gaslight the meaning of male and female.

Are you happy now conservative FAGGOTS?

^ Ah don't need Prep. Ah'm saving mahself for the right gentleman caller

This is a serious question. Why does the Catholic church have any pull or even relevancy after it has been revealed it is a funded, protected coven for child sex predators, historically? Why would anyone align with them, even if they themselves are religious? Im just baffled at the world we live in??

R71 is a trans obsessed loon.

[quote]It is FAR more expensive paying for HIV medicines than to pay for a prevention like PrEP.

Prep drugs are the same exact drugs used for HIV. They are just given before possible infection which works well in most cases because the virus doesn't have a chance to infect the whole immune system and get established a strong foothold before it's treated.

[quote]Why does the Catholic church have any pull or even relevancy

It's not the Catholic church so much as it's Evangelical "CHRISTIANS". There's a difference. Evangelicals are really fanatics and have been since the Regan years. In fact he's the one responsible for bringing them into the Republican party and establishing their importance. Google the Moral Majority.

While the Catholic Church hierarchy is horrible, ordinary Catholics don't tend to be awful on gay rights. There was a poll showing the % of Catholics who support gay marriage was pretty much equal to the % of people who support gay marriage in the general population

[quote] Prep drugs are the same exact drugs used for HIV.

No, PrEP is just one of the many drugs taken to control HIV.

Have the Stonewallers commented yet? They will likely support this because they don't want to infringe on religious rights...to hate gays

USA "christians" are a fucking blight.

Gays and women (and everyone) need to get off their fucking keisters and vote STRAIGHT DEM TICKET in every race in Texas in November!

I don't care what your stripe is, the GOP has LITERALLY declared war on women and gay men! The time is NOW!