Obama Administration Reaffirms Contraception Access for All Women

ACLU Believes Announcement Should End Religious Liberty Controversy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration today announced that it would modify its policy on contraception insurance coverage. Last month the administration announced that it would keep in place a proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that required religiously affiliated universities, hospitals and social services to provide contraception coverage to its employees. The policy, though wholly constitutional and already in place in states across the country, was met with criticism from the United States Conference on Catholic Bishops and other groups.

The new modification would allow religiously affiliated universities, hospitals and social services to opt out of paying for contraceptive coverage and instead have insurance companies directly provide coverage.

“The most important thing is that the administration ensured that every woman who needs coverage for contraception is receiving it. We know that Catholics in the pews support this position as 98 percent of Catholic women use contraception and 58 percent of Catholics support insurance coverage for contraception,” said Louise Melling, ACLU Deputy Legal Director. “The ACLU will defend the health and religious liberty needs of employees, and hopes the intense recent debate is now behind us.”