Obama Administration Finalizes Contraception Rule

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CONTACT: 212-549-2666, media@aclu.org

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration today released the final rule implementing the requirement that insurance plans cover contraception with no cost-sharing. The administration’s decision ensures effective birth control will be more affordable for millions of women.

“With this rule, the administration continues to stand by women and our families and refuses to let employers use religion to discriminate,” said Sarah Lipton-Lubet, American Civil Liberties Union policy counsel. “As the fight over the contraception rule moves through the courts, the ACLU will continue to stand up for the right to make decisions about birth control based on our own beliefs, not our bosses’.”

In February, the administration issued a proposed rule designed to guarantee employees will receive contraception coverage but allows nonprofit employers that identify as religious and object to contraception not to bear the cost or otherwise have any connection with the coverage. Importantly, this accommodation does not extend to for-profit businesses. Today’s action finalizes that rule. The ACLU supports the administration’s commitment to ensuring that women receive coverage for contraception but does not believe special accommodations for nonprofit employers are needed.

More than 60 court cases have been filed challenging the rule, alleging that it infringes on religious liberty, and the ACLU is actively involved in 23 of these cases. A list of cases is available here.