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Contraceptive Mandate Question Thrown Back to Lower Courts
The much debated contraceptive mandate has made headlines once again. Only this time it is for a decision not being made.
The Supreme Court vs. Contraceptive Mandate
On May 16, 2016 the Supreme Court of the United States deferred deciding whether faith-based groups should be required to provide contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The justices unanimously returned religious groups' appeals to the lower courts, saying both sides should work out their differences.
The Obama administration wanted insurance companies and plan administrators to handle coverage of religious groups that don't want to provide birth control to their employees or students. But some faith-based groups said they would still play a role in providing something that is linked to abortion. Their argument is the accommodation forces them to violate their religious beliefs or pay ruinous fines.
The decision to send the case back to the appellate level appears to be a direct impact of Justice Antonin Scalia's death in February of 2016.
This is the second case the Supreme Court has heard challenging the contraceptive mandate. In 2014 the court ruled in favor of closely held for-profit companies that objected to providing certain contraceptives. The court ruled 5-4 that these types of for-profit corporations whose owners objected to the mandate, could have their insurance plans deliver the benefit directly to the employees.
Background on the Contraceptive Mandate
The ACA requires most employer supported health plans to cover certain preventative care. This includes all FDA approved contraceptive methods and sterilization procedures prescribed for women. This includes oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices, implantable devices, barrier methods, and emergency contraceptives, but not abortifacients.
Plans must cover these services without charging a copayment or coinsurance when provided by an in-network provider, even if you haven't met your deductible.
Some non-profit religious organizations, like non-profit religious hospitals and institutions of higher education, that certify they have religious objections to contraceptive coverage ,don't have to contract, arrange, pay, or refer contraceptive coverage.
What IAA has to Say
Insurance Administrator of America is here to keep you up-to-date on what's going on in the world of healthcare. Stay with this blog to learn more about ACA changes and other health information updates. Remember, with IAA one call does it all.
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