government
States challenge federal contraceptive coverage mandate
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 5, 2012
Seven states are suing the federal Dept. of Health and Human Services over the health system reform law's mandate requiring businesses to provide women insurance coverage for certain birth control without patient cost-sharing.
Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas say the rule is unconstitutional because it forces religious schools and religiously affiliated employers to violate their moral beliefs by subsidizing contraception. The lawsuit, filed Feb. 23 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, asks a federal judge to block the government's requirement.
The Obama administration recently released a proposed regulation to implement the reform law's birth control coverage mandate. In response to criticism of the initial rule, the administration said Feb. 10 that health insurance companies, rather than the religious institutions themselves, would provide employees with the contraceptive coverage. But some states and religious organizations said the compromise did not go far enough, renewing their call for a full exemption from the mandate for entities that oppose birth control.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/03/05/gvbf0305.htm.
