Contraceptives should be classified as preventative health care for insurance coverage

Thanks for your well-thought out opening argument. I would like to address some of your points with comments."Contraception is not only critical to the health of women, but also crucial for healthy pregnancies and babies. Contraceptives play an important role in helping to ensure that more pregnancies are planned, provided for, and healthy."It is difficult to have this discussion as it appears we do not have the same definition of preventive care. In my opinion, being pregnant is not a health problem. One can be pregnant and healthy or not pregnant and unhealthy and vice versa. They are independent of each other. Back to the definition I posted in Round 2, I would like to highlight the key is "necessary intervention to avert a health problem." Contraception is critical to women's health, but should not be classified as a preventive health tool. More on that in my rebuttal/continuation."What is covered by the Affordable Care Act?""Why was pregnancy prevention added to the new health reform laws?"This is an ignoratio elenchi. We are talking about whether contraceptives should be considered preventive care. The reasons for inclusion in ACA is irrelevant and do not address the issue of contraceptives as preventive care."The purpose of contraception is to prevent unwanted and unintended pregnancy, and the related health impact and costs. The preventive nature of contraception makes this area the most common-sense form of classification."Again, preventive care is not preventing all health conditions. It is specifically focused on disease and detrimental health issues. Being pregnant is not a health problem nor is preventing pregnancy the goal of preventive care."Contraceptives and family planning options are a critical component of women's health, and should be included with other preventive health care options available to families."I completely agree with this statement. However, it is another ignoratio elenchi. Family planning is not a key component of preventive care.Rebuttal and ContinuationBeing pregnant is a not a detrimental health issue and pregnancy prevention is not a goal of preventive care. Being sexually active is a lifestyle choice. Therefore, the onus to do so responsibly falls on the individual. Going to the gym and working out has great benefits to health. In fact, regular exercise helps to control weight (less strain on joints and bones), combats heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol (actual health problems that preventive care seeks to prevent/mitigate), improves mental health, and provides more energy and better rest.(1) All of these things fall under the tenant of preventive care, yet a gym membership is not covered under preventive care by insurance companies. Why? Because it is a lifestyle choice and personal responsibility.Additionally, Pro's argument is specifically focused on women's health, which is understandable as only women can become pregnant. But that effectively ignores half of the population. If contraceptives are classified as preventive health, which would be fully covered without copay, then half of the population is paying for a service (through either taxes or premiums) to which they have no access. Don't get me wrong. Pregnancy prevention is a shared responsibility of both people involved. But because it ignores half of the population is another reason why it should not be classified as preventive health care. What concerns me about this mindset is that it promotes a culture of a lack of responsibility. Individuals who choose to be sexually active want others to pay for them to be responsible in their lifestyle choice. If I choose to drive without insurance, should others pay for my car to be fixed if I get in an accident? Should I expect others to pay for my toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss to ensure that I responsibly maintain the health of my teeth and gums? Better yet, in my example in paragraph one, should I have other people pay for my gym membership so I can work out and improve my health? Where do we draw the line as to what are preventive health issues and problems?Again, I would like to reiterate that my position is not that contraceptives should not be covered by insurance. It is only that it should not be classified as preventive health care, meaning zero out of pocket expenses. There should be plans that include contraception, just like there are plans that include family planning or dental. But it should be the responsibility of the individual to pay for those additional, and sometimes necessary, services.Pro cannot redefine the meaning of preventive care or she needs to clarify how she defines preventive care. As is currently presented, in my opinion, she has not adequately addressed why contraceptives should be classified as preventive health care.(1) http://www.mayoclinic.com...