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May 17, 2016

Supreme Court Declines to Rule on Key Birth Control Case
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The Supreme Court has declined to rule on a major case involving access
to birth control under President Obama's signature healthcare law. The
Obama administration has already exempted churches and other houses of
worship from a rule requiring employer health plans to provide birth
control coverage to employees without a copay. Religiously affiliated
nonprofits simply need to notify the health insurer or the government
that they object to providing birth control coverage, at which point the
government takes over and they have no further role. But a number of
nonprofits argue the notification process itself violates their
religious freedom. The Supreme Court has been left with just eight
justices following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia and Republican
efforts to block Obama's nominee. On Monday, the court handed the birth
control cases back to lower courts, instructing them to find an approach
that accommodates religious freedom while ensuring employees of the
nonprofits have equal access to birth control.
Topics:Supreme Court

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