by The_Present_Truth 9 Replies latest watchtower medical
I'm not sure if this has been addressed here or not but I've been curious as to how Obamacare stands to affect the WTBTS and those serving at it's branches in the USA? Has anyone looked at this?
Seems the Catholics are all shook up about what Obamacare stands to "make" them provide their "employees".
Thoughts .....
The WT already has troubles with their European branches regarding paying into the health care system and providing pensions. Denmark was one such case. Their response had been to lay off as many people as possible in those branches and shifting more of the work to neighboring countries with less restrictive laws regarding this. My guess is that they'll keep trying to encourage the older and infirm to "serve where the need is greater" (i.e. I don't care where you go, just get out because you're costing us more to keep you than what you are producing), while reworking their contracts with the Bethel workers and setting them to officially "part-time" roles. That will allow them to make the legal argument that their workers are only part-time volunteers and that they are free to work at other jobs in order to acquire health care benefits, all the while privately discouraging Bethelites to moonlight.
Hasn't the WTS moved its operations to Canada?
It's my understanding that it's the hospitals and other charitable organizations the Catholics provide, not just for Catholics, but all people, that they are concerned about. Obamacare allows a Catholic Hospital to opt out of the abortion and birth control requirement IF the hospital only treats Catholics. But, of course, Catholic hospitals treat all people.
The JWs don't have to worry about it.....they don't have hospitals OR charitable organizations that help people.
I understood the WTS. has already health care for Bethel workers in New York. ???
I am a Democrat, quite involved. Sibelius decision that the Catholic must provide birth control and birth control coverage for strikes me as wrong on a const'l basis. Whatever is in legislation does not stand agaiinst const'l principles. Doing so so close to the election seems shocking. All those Catholic voters running to the GOP. They could lose many Dem. Catholic labor votes.
I did not read about the decision in great detail. ON its face it seems fundamentally wrong. One factor that may affect the results is that most of my life I had a vast choice as to which hospitals to use. We never chose a Catholic hospital for anything serious. I know medical care is compromised. What is a Catholic hospital is the only hospital in a large geographical region. There might not be secular alternatives.
I was actually wondering how it would affect the "Bethel Family" per say. I think right now the WTBTS in the USA is self insured as it relates to health insurance for those serving. I could be wrong. Just wondering if they'll have to provide broader coverage for those serving, possibly purchased from an outside carrier? That could be pricey....
band, I gues Scientologists are gonna use the "religion" to say they don't believe in medicine?
What would Jesus do? I could understand their cheap attitude towards Bethelites if Armageddon arrived on any predicted date. It is very cruel. I don't know details.
With the Watchtower's organization structure (mostly volunteer labor that doesn't get health insurance through the organization) and practices (their services, such as they are, are directed to members) I suspect they are not worried about the HHS regulations. They don't run schools, hospitals, universities, orphanages, etc. that would be affected.
Unless they have changed things, the Bethel family and the Farm are taken care by in house physicians and nurses. I don't know how all this is legally, whether the bethel folks can get birth control or they have to fund it themselves. I only had an issue once with a jws doc who almost would not do a tubal ligation for me. We were able to reason a way around it, but most jws would be crazy to see jws only docs.
You have no privacy and are subject to their interpretation of the Scriptures.
