Bad Information on Hobby Lobby Case Gains Traction
By far the most common such inaccuracy I’ve heard about in recent weeks involves the Supreme Court’s June 30 decision in a case where Hobby Lobby and Conestoga sought exemption from the “contraception mandate” of the Affordable Care Act.
Fact: The court’s ruling means that “closely held” companies such as the plaintiffs have the right not to provide employees with any birth control methods they object to as part of their health care coverage.
The misconception, common in chain emails and among some broadcast pundits: The decision pertains only to four types of birth control in the ACA mandate, specifically two “morning after” or emergency contraceptive drugs, and two intrauterine devices or IUDs.
To be clear, this is absolutely wrong. While Hobby Lobby and Conestoga wanted exemption only from those four forms of contraception, which they consider abortifacients, the Supreme Court ruled that employers may withhold paying for any or all of the 20 different FDA approved methods of birth control they object to on religious grounds. The court further clarified that lower courts were interpret it this way the day after the decision.