The Instigator
Pyrken
Pro (for)
Pyrken
Losing
0 Points
The Contender
GenesisCreation
Con (against)
GenesisCreation
Winning
9 Points

Birth control pills, even as contraception, should be covered by health insurance.

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Post Voting Period
The voting period for this debate has ended.
after 3 votes the winner is...
GenesisCreation
Started: 3/8/2012 Category: Politics
Updated: 1 year ago Status: Post Voting Period
Viewed: 542 times Debate No: 21844
Debate Rounds (3)
Comments (3)
Votes (3)

 

Pyrken

Pro

Hello, potential opponents! First off, this will probably be an easy win for you, as I am a new debater and a high school freshman who wants to improve his skills. The debate will be in the format of: 1. Intro and main argument, 2. Rebuttals, 3. Re-rebuttals and closing arguments. I would much rather hear from Con first. Nevertheless, here are my opening arguments:

1. First of all, birth control occasionally serves actual medical needs, such as curing ovarian cysts, or (relatively) less important, lightening menses.
While this is probably not a good argument on its own for someone who needs birth control for its primary, stated purpose; it must be brought up.

2. Even if the only purpose of "the pill" is to facilitate sex, health insurance already covers Viagra and its relatives, and their primary purpose is to allow for intercourse.

3. On a purely financial (probably heartless) note, it would be cheaper for insurance companies to cover birth control than covering the resulting medical expenses arising from the unexpected child.

I apologize for the omnipresent spelling and grammer mistakes, but please try to keep the argument from devolving into a fight over semantics and syntax. I welcome and appreciate critiques
(and dismantlings) of my argument. Thanks for helping my debating skills grow!
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GenesisCreation

Con

Birth control is a "free will" medication. It's purpose is to allow a woman to engage in sexual intercourse without becoming pregnant. The drug is therefore administered to women who:
  • Choose to be sexually active.
  • Choose to be reproductively barren.

Based on the points of "free-will sexual intercourse" and "free-will reproductive suppression" I will argue that a Company health care system or the Government's health care system is not responsible for incurring the cost of this drug. This drug, in it's intended form, falls under three prospective categories:
  • Recreational use.
  • Family planning.
  • Hormone therapy. (Exclusive to only a handful of birth control methods)
If we forced a health care provider to pay for birth control, it would be just as liable to pay for other recreational supplies. Should the HMO also pay for novelty condoms? Sex toys? Pornography? All these things are designed for recreational sex.

If we forced the health care provider to pay for birth control, it would prospectively force the HMO to furnish other services for family planning. Should the HMO pay for fertility treatment? Cryogenic sperm storage? Day care? Education? Food? All these things are prospective costs incurred through family planning.

As my opponent has mentioned, birth control has some medical benefits. What he failed to mention, is that these benefits are drug specific. Not all birth control methods prevent ovarian cysts and not all birth control methods decrease menstrual activity.

If the pill is being used to treat cysts, excessively painful menstruation or a hormonal imbalance, then the pill is no longer considered birth control. It has taken on the properties of medication. For this purpose and this purpose alone, the HMO should cover the cost of the pill.
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 Debate Round No. 1
Pyrken

Pro

Pyrken forfeited this round.
GenesisCreation

Con

Arguments extended to next round.
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 Debate Round No. 2
Pyrken

Pro

Pyrken forfeited this round.
GenesisCreation

Con

Arguments left unchallenged as per opponent forfeiture. Von Con please.
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 Debate Round No. 3
Post a Comment
3 comments have been posted on this debate. Showing 1 through 3 records.
Posted by PeterO 1 year ago
PeterO
The entire birth control issue was part of "Operation Change-the-Subject". Barack is about to go down with the birth certificate issue, the providing guns to Mexican drug dealers, refusal to secure the border, Solyndra et al, pissing away a trillion dollars on political payback, and ramming through a unconstitutional health care program. The Dems trot out this "law student" & put her on national TV. She bears to the world her tail of woe with cost of birth control. ($3000....she must be getting some great action!)Her parents must be very proud of their little darlin. Rush fell for it & only served to throw fuel to the fire. Now the story is not Barack the traitor, but now is Rush the bigoted woman hater who has his own radio show. Mission Accomplished!
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Posted by ConservativePolitico 1 year ago
ConservativePolitico
Oh no you've fallen for the Left's gimmick... they've made you believe women aren't getting the pill under health care plans when the main issue was that they were trying to force churches to give out the pill...

Sad.
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Posted by TheApologist 1 year ago
TheApologist
Before I accept I wanted to check: do you mean that Birth control pills, even as contraception, should be MANDATORILY covered by health insurance? Or are you arguing that people should have the right to CHOOSE health insurance which covers contraceptives OR NOT.

Thanks.
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3 votes have been placed for this debate. Showing 1 through 3 records.
Vote Placed by 1dustpelt 1 year ago
1dustpelt
PyrkenGenesisCreationTied
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Reasons for voting decision: ff
Vote Placed by TUF 1 year ago
TUF
PyrkenGenesisCreationTied
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Reasons for voting decision: Forfeits.
Vote Placed by Maikuru 1 year ago
Maikuru
PyrkenGenesisCreationTied
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Total points awarded:01 
Reasons for voting decision: Con's entire case was a slippery slope, so I cannot give arguments. Conduct, however, goes to Con.