The Department of Health and Human Services included a provision in its recent decision to make birth control a preventative service that would allow religious groups to refuse to cover contraceptive services. # The federal agency today announced it would be following the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation to include birth control and contraceptive services on a list of preventative care as the Affordable Care Act is implemented
“„In allowing religious institutions to refuse to include contraceptive services in the health insurance plans they offer their employees, the Obama administration has once again sided with the Catholic bishops over the needs of women and their families. The multi-billion dollar Catholic healthcare industry has a lot of influence with this administration, influence that it has now used to allow religious institutions to ride roughshod over the needs of their workers. Not only that, it ignores the consciences of those who decide that to use a modern method of family planning is what is best for them and their families. #
“„The new guidelines exempt group health plans sponsored by certain religious employers. The guidelines define a religious employer as a nonprofit that: #