On Friday morning, MSNBC Host Stephanie Ruhle went to town on any Republican lawmakers and cabinet members who don’t agree that prenatal care should be mandated for insurance companies. This would include Health Secretary Tom Price, who would allow states to crank up women’s premiums, simply because they’re unlucky enough to carry the physical burden of perpetuating the human species. Part of the issue here is that some GOP lawmakers don’t understand how prenatal care can significantly lower future costs. Of course, this is the case for babies of other sex, so it’s not like prenatal care only serves women.
Raw Story highlighted a recent argument between Congressmen John Shimkus (R-IL) and Mike Doyle (D-PA). Shimkus displayed his unawareness of how insurance pools work, and he’s appalled that men’s premiums should be spent on medical care for women who have the gall to get knocked up. In the above clip, Ruhle didn’t waste any time in shutting down the complaint:
“Congressman Shimkus, if you are watching, unlike Tom Price, I’m not a doctor. But I will talk science for a moment. Though it is women who need that prenatal care, men are involved in the process that requires them to need prenatal care, FYI.”
Economist Austan Goolsbee aided Ruhle with a digestible summarization of how insurance always involves a larger group of people paying for a risk that will be claimed by a smaller number of policy holders: “That’s the nature of insurance.” And since “everyone is born,” prenatal care actually benefits society as a whole, not only women.
You can watch a longer clip below for the full exchange.