Obama Says Contraceptive Rule Balances Religious Rights

President Barack Obama sought to quell the uproar over a requirement that employers provide coverage for contraception by saying religious-affiliated charities and hospitals won’t have to pay for such services.

Instead, insurance companies will be compelled to offer them to insured employees of those institutions without charge. Obama said his administration, through the Department of Health and Human Services, was acting to preserve access to contraceptive coverage and at the same time respond to objections from religious officials.