Contraception Ruling Adjusted to Accommodate Religious Concerns

"President Obama’s announcement on the contraception ruling addresses concerns raised by religious leaders while still ensuring women can access free preventive care regardless of where they work. This decision changes nothing for women.

· President Obama announced today an adjustment to the Department of Health and Human Services’ contraception ruling that accommodates concerns while protecting women’s health.

· This decision changes nothing for women. Under the President’s new policy, all women will have access to free preventive care including contraception no matter where they work.
o If a woman works for a religiously affiliated university or hospital that objects to providing contraception coverage, her insurance company – not her employer – will offer her free contraception.
o As always, no religious institution will have to provide contraception directly, while female employees will have access to free contraception if they so want it.

· Today’s announcement reflects the President’s strong commitment to both preserving religious liberty and protecting women’s health. He listened to the concerns of religious organizations and understood them, having begun his career working with local churches that sometimes helped communities more than any government ever could.

· The President’s health reform ensured contraception would be covered with no out-of-pocket cost to women, and today’s announcement maintains that policy.
o Doctors prescribe contraception for medical and health reasons, including helping to reduce the risk of some cancers, serious infections and cysts.
o Despite the important health benefits confirmed by medical research, many women skip contraceptive care because of its cost.
o Nearly 99 percent of women have relied on contraception in their lives, but more than half of women between 18 and 34 years old have struggled to afford it.
o This is a commonsense idea. Twenty-eight states already require employers to cover contraception, covering more than half the U.S. population.

· People of good will on both sides of the debate have fought to find a solution that works for everyone. The policy announced today achieves that goal, protecting our Constitutional right of religious liberty while maintaining women’s access to free preventive care. Many organizations, including faith-based ones, have already come out in support of it:
o Catholic Health Services.
o Catholics United.
o Planned Parenthood.
o NARAL.
· While the President’s reasoned and just decision respects religious liberty and protects a woman’s right to make decisions about her health, Republicans would remove that right. Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Speaker John Boehner, Senator Marco Rubio and other Congressional Republicans want to take this right away from women and put it in the hands of their employers. "