States Rights? Firms That Cut Birth-Control Coverage Must Notify Workers: White House
The Hobby Lobby case targeted only four forms of birth control, but lawsuits challenging requirements to cover all forms of birth control are still pending in court. A separate spate of lawsuits from not-for-profit organizations is challenging the adequacy of a federal accommodation to the policy for religious objections, which allows an outside entity to provide contraceptive coverage.
Meanwhile, at least 28 states have laws on the books that require health plans to cover the full range of contraceptive drugs and devices if they offer prescription drugs in their plans, according to an analysis by the Guttmacher Institute (PDF). Those laws appear to remain in place, attorneys say, because the Hobby Lobby decision applied only to the federal regulation.
But it’s not clear that companies with religious objections will follow them. On Monday, Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal wrote a letter to Hobby Lobby’s owners (PDF) requesting that the company comply with his state’s law requiring coverage of contraceptives.
“Given our history of respect for individual rights and Connecticut’s strong and clear public policy protecting access to all legally approved contraceptives as well as pending congressional legislation, I urge you to ensure that any health insurance offered by Hobby Lobby to Connecticut employees comply with our state mandate,” Blumenthal wrote.
More: Firms That Cut Birth-Control Coverage Must Notify Workers: White House