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Tony_FLADEM

(3,023 posts)
Fri Feb 1, 2013, 04:05 PM Feb 2013

Obama administration offers religious colleges opt-out for contraception rule

Religious universities and other nonprofits may opt out of requirements to provide no-cost contraception through their group health plans following a change announced Friday to President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.

Nonprofits will not have to "contract, arrange, pay or refer for any contraceptive coverage to which they object on religious grounds," the Department of Health and Human Services announced today in the proposed rule.

At nonprofits that are self-insured, third-party administrators would independently contact all the insured people and offer them no-cost contraception. Those third parties would be compensated for providing the contraception through lower participation fees in the federal health insurance exchanges, which are supposed to be running in all states by 2014 under the new law. At nonprofits that contract an insurer to cover their employees, that insurer will pay for the contraception itself on the assumption that providing contraception will save them money in the long run.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-administration-offers-religious-colleges-opt-contraception-rule-170613896--politics.html

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PennsylvaniaMatt

(966 posts)
1. This will finally shut up my far-right Catholic relatives...
Fri Feb 1, 2013, 04:15 PM
Feb 2013

Who have gone on and on about Obama's "War on Religious Freedom" and how he is "tramping on our religion", etc.

I swear, they are making it sound like President Obama is forcing birth control pills down women's throats.

Ilsa

(61,695 posts)
2. Contraception pays for itself many times over.
Fri Feb 1, 2013, 04:18 PM
Feb 2013

These religious objections are antiquated and ridiculous.

yellowcanine

(35,699 posts)
5. It is for the employees of those schools, not the students.
Fri Feb 1, 2013, 04:26 PM
Feb 2013

And it is an employee benefit, which should be controlled by the employee, not the employer.

yellowcanine

(35,699 posts)
9. The employer only pays a portion of the insurance premium.
Fri Feb 1, 2013, 04:44 PM
Feb 2013

It is the insurance company who pays for the actual coverage for contraceptives. And generally contraceptive coverage or lack of it will not affect the premium. After all the insurance company has a vested interest in people not getting pregnant - they want women to use contraceptives.

 

HockeyMom

(14,337 posts)
6. The Catholic Church will not be satisfied with ONLY Religious Organizations
Fri Feb 1, 2013, 04:27 PM
Feb 2013

being exempt. They want all FOR PROFIT, PRIVATE business owners to be exempt. Hey boss, are you CATHOLIC and think I should not use birth control? Will you keep me as your female employee if I keep popping out a baby every two years, and have to pay for labor, delivery, and maternity benifits? Or maybe you would rather go back to the good, old days and only hire MALE employees? Read the writing on the wall, people.

From a Catholic School Graduate.

yellowcanine

(35,699 posts)
7. Employer should not dictate how an employee benefit is used, any more than they can dictate
Fri Feb 1, 2013, 04:28 PM
Feb 2013

how an employee spends their salary. Employee benefits are part of their wages.

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