Men just voted for forced paternity

Let’s explore what that really looks like — even as a hands-off parent who may only be providing financial support.

Under Georgia law, you are financially obligated to support the child, whether or not you are married to their mother. Once paternity is established, either voluntarily or through court order, you must provide financial support. This obligation continues until the child turns 18, or until they graduate from high school (whichever is later).

Are you one of the many Georgians who casts their ballot with their wallet? If so, let’s run some numbers.

Let’s say you and the mother are going to share the costs 50/50. Let’s also assume you’re a man living in Atlanta, where the costs of just about everything are higher than the rest of the state.

The bare minimum is $245,000 for your half of that cost over 18 years. How would that monthly expense diminish your quality of life? If you had the money to spare and invested those same funds into a high-yield savings account over the same period, with today’s rates, you would have almost $500,000 in your pocket at the end of 18 years.

Let’s explore a more stark and common reality: If the mother is uninsured, the moment the pregnancy test is positive, she’s going to be handed a stack of papers to enroll in Medicaid. (This is the standard practice in clinics across Georgia.) That enrollment will help to offset the extraordinary costs of pregnancy care. At least that’s the way things roll now. (This might change.)

Mike Johnson, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is gunning for the legislation that covers the cost of pregnancy care. In the run-up to the 2024 presidential election at a rally in Pennsylvania, he stated that “health care reform’s going to be on the agenda.” When asked about continuing to fund the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), he responded, “No Obamacare.” Johnson went on to say: “The ACA is so deeply ingrained, we need massive reform to make this work, and we got a lot of ideas on how to do that.”

Guess what funds Medicaid? Yup: The Affordable Care Act.

So now, if that safety net is gone, not only are you facing forced paternity, but you’ll be looking at paying for the pregnancy bills and child support that come with it. While Georgia does not require men to pay for pregnancy care under current laws, it does allow women to sue fathers for reimbursement or to have those costs covered altogether.

But this is the mother of your child, and you’re probably a good guy who wants to do the right thing. So you decide to cover those costs, no lawsuit necessary.

Let’s run some more numbers: Assuming Medicare has been slashed under Mike Johnson’s plans — and these are now out-of-pocket expenses — the total cost of pregnancy care in Georgia (including a two-night hospital stay) generally ranges from $10,000 to $24,000 for an uncomplicated delivery. If complications arise, the costs could easily rise by $20,000 or more, depending on the severity of the mother’s health needs.

Let’s be optimistic, with an “easy” pregnancy, you are now out at least an additional $12,000 if you are splitting the costs 50/50 with the mother. If we add that to the $245,000 calculated earlier, those invested funds together would mean roughly $525,000 less in your pocket after 18 years.

Credit: Mary Hayes/contributed

Credit: Mary Hayes/contributed

In the case of “accidents happening,” then, our men, too, are less free.

Even worse: In the gut-wrenching case of “we’ve been trying for years, there was a complication, and now my wife’s life is in peril,” you and her clinicians have been robbed of your ability to protect and provide. Your freedom, finances and plans for the future be damned. Big Government knows better than you.

And what if you’re already a father with a son? If your son is old enough to be a father himself but young enough to still depend on you, you may prefer to retire early instead of subsidizing his one-night stands.

So what now?

You can make it clear that you will vote to retain your rights in the future. Let your legislators know that you want your privacy protected and that you want to see health care protected. Make sure they know you will work to vote politicians out if they act counter to those points. You can remind them who they work for. You can find their contact information at www.usa.gov/elected-officials. Or tweet at them if that’s easier! Just make it clear that you stand for the protection of your rights, your freedom, and your way of life.

Mary Hayes is a financial expert with over a decade of both private and public sector experience. She has earned degrees from institutions such as NYU, Harvard, Wharton, and is a Six Sigma Black Belt