Birth Control Controversy

Obamacare requiring private insurers to make contraceptives available for free

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," August 4, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Now remember when Nancy Pelosi told us that we'd have to pass Obamacare to find out what was actually in the bill? Well, she couldn't have been more right.

Now earlier this week, it was announced that thanks to Obamacare health insurance plans must cover birth control for women without any co- pays.

Now the requirement goes into effect in January 2013 and is said to be part of a preventative care program for women. But is this what people had in mind when the Democrats were pushing universal health care?

Now according to a new Rasmussen reports poll, 46 percent do not think the government should require health insurance companies to cover all the contraceptives for women. While only 39 percent believe they should.

Joining me now with reaction Fox News contributor, former Women's Media Center president, Jehmu Greene and Fox News legal analyst and host, Kimberly Guilfoyle. By the way, you can catch her on "The Five" right here on the Fox News Channel beating up Bob Beckel.

KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR AND ANALYST: He likes it.

HANNITY: He does. I love the show.

GUILFOYLE: Thank you.

HANNITY: Alright, explain to me why government should require health insurance companies and by the way, some of them have religious orientation.

And a value system that is against birth control, catholic services, et cetera. Why should they require it by law? Why can't -- if people want to engage in activity, at what point do we say people have to be responsible for their own behavior?

JEHMU GREENE, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, look a panel of scientists, medical professionals --

HANNITY: I don't care about the scientists. You tell --

GREENE: -- who are much smarter than us, they made this recommendation, and they made it because this is a win-win for everyone involved. If you are against abortion you should be celebrating this decision.

HANNITY: Hang on a sec. Look into the camera and tell the American people we are now going to be $25 trillion in debt. Now if you want to go out and choose -- make the choice to take off one article of clothing the next one, the next one, the next one. And get naked and have sex --

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: If you want to do that, then you go get your own birth control. I shouldn't have to pay for it.

GREENE: OK, but if you only care about the cost savings. Unintended pregnancies in America cost us up to $11 billion a year.

(CROSSTALK)

GREENE: That's an opportunity for savings there. But again, this is about women's health. If you care about women's health --

HANNITY: It is not about women's health, it is about birth control. This is about women's birth control.

GREENE: This is absolutely -- 50 percent of pregnancies are unintended.

HANNITY: I'm not having sex --

GREENE: This is going to dramatically decrease abortions.

HANNITY: That's more than you probably want to hear --

GREENE: This is going to dramatically increase women's health and family health. If you care about -- if you are against welfare, you should be celebrating this. There are so many reasons why this is actually something that we can [INAUDIBLE]

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I didn't finish my sentence. I am not out there screwing around with people. I'm happily married for 18 years. Here's my point, Kimberly Guilfoyle...

GUILFOYLE: And you can get pregnant with your clothes on too. I just want to point out that, Sean. You seem to think that you have to take everything off, I'm just saying.

HANNITY: You can get pregnant with your clothes on?

GUILFOYLE: Woah, you sound surprised. You don't have to have everything off to get -- that's a whole other class in education. We don't have time for that tonight. What we do have time for --

HANNITY: Well, a certain article of clothing does have to come off, Kimberly.

GUILFOYLE: I'm not going even get into that. HANNITY: Thank you for sharing.

GUILFOYLE: Not gonna go there, but I will tell you this. This is going increase the cost of premiums. There is no such thing as free. The buck is going to get passed on, right?

This is for services like birth control, morning after pill, vasectomies, tubal ligation and doctors are supposed to automatically ask about domestic violence, are you being abused? What is going on in your life?

This has gotten completely out of hand. Why can't it be a personal choice responsibility about birth control and not something that is forced upon taxpayers like Roman Catholics and others that don't believe in it? And it doesn't decrease the amount of sexually transmitted diseases --

GREENE: 98 percent of Catholic women practice birth control. A 100 percent of Evangelicals use birth control.

HANNITY: Let them pay for it.

GREENE: One in three women struggles to pay for her birth control.

(CROSSTALK)

GREENE: When you have to decide between filling up your gas tank and how are you are going to deal with, I don't know filling up your own tank --

HANNITY: Filling up your own tank.

GREENE: C'mon now, in this economy, you do have to make decisions about what you are going to pay for.

GUILFOYLE: Birth control pill actually increases the number of sexually transmitted diseases that are contracted and by the way, there's plenty of services out there like Planned Parenthood that provide birth control.

It's already -- the cost is so low, you make a contribution, a donation there if you need it. If it's something you need -- why should the taxpayers, why should everybody else have to pay for an individual's sexual choices and decisions? And by the way, abstinence prevents pregnancy.

GREENE: Of course, abstinence prevents pregnancies. But again, you have to look at the facts here, Kimberly. Fifty percent of pregnancies in this country are unintended. One in three women make a decision between what they are going to pay for on a monthly basis -- [INAUDIBLE]

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: You are off track. Why should other people pay for this? When they're not engaged in any activity. They are not having the sex part. Why can't people be individual, responsibility, why can't that -- why can't they take responsibility for their own life? Why, why, why?

(CROSSTALK)

GREENE: A lot of people pay for things that you may not agree with. If you're not eating well -- If someone's not eating well and they get free screening for diabetes that is covered in preventive services. There are so many preventive services -

HANNITY: You can't compare diabetes to filling up your tank, to use your term.

(CROSSTALK)

GREENE: -- this is historic for women, historic for women. We have come from a time when Viagra was covered by insurance plans and birth control wasn't.

GUILFOYLE: That's a big problem. I mean let me tell you something, alcohol, drug use et cetera, that's what contributes to unwanted pregnancies, and you know what I find particularly offensive, this is saying that poor people can't make good decisions about how to protect themselves sexually.

That we're going to have to just pay for it any way. That they are not going to be able to manage their own life and have personal responsibility. But people that have money can? It is ridiculous.

HANNITY: How about this? I have a new rule. If you're going to fill up your tank, I'll use your words, you know what, you better be prepared for the consequences and stop expecting other people to be responsible for every minute aspect of your life in this nanny state that you want to create.

GREENE: But why should we pay for a man's Viagra?

HANNITY: Because that actually is a medical --

GREENE: Before the Affordable Care Act -- when some insurance plans, wouldn't cover birth control.

HANNITY: That is a medical problem versus a choice to have sex. You know what, you can choose not to have it. If you can't afford gas in your car it might not be the right time to think about --

GUILFOYLE: -- start a family

HANNITY: -- activity that is going to be

GUILFOYLE: -- risky.

HANNITY: -- risky

GREENE: I think, again, you have to look at how many people like you Sean, have tried to figure out ways to decrease abortion. This automatically decreases abortion.

GUILFOYLE: We can't afford this Jehmu. I've got a newsflash for you.

HANNITY: Ya know what, when I had no money I didn't think about getting married.

(CROSSTALK)

GREENE: Welfare reform, whether it's -- ya know, whatever your focus is, and Sean, I've heard you talk about decreasing abortions so many times.

GUILFOYLE: This doesn't do that.

GREENE: Yes it does.

(CROSSTALK)

GUILFOYLE: No it doesn't Jehmu. And by the way, how about investing in children and their future and education, the children that we have here. What about like, ya know, providing more for school in terms of the education system? I don't understand why we have to sit there and say, ok we are going to give you birth control pills and then you're going to solve your problems. You might actually be encouraging that person to not use condoms and have safe sex. Which is more cost to the taxpayer.

HANNITY: Thank you, Kimberly. Thank you, Jehmu, appreciate it.

GUILFOYLE: Thank you Sean.

HANNITY: Let not your heart be troubled. I won't have sex, but I will be paying for the birth control, not fair that you'll be paying for the birth control. Let not your heart be troubled, our Great American Panel is next.

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