Religious Groups Win Bid to Ignore Obamacare Coverage Rule
- Birth control coverage ruling splits with other courts
- Nonprofits say opt-out provision also violates their rights
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Religious groups needn’t obey the Affordable Care Act mandate to provide workers with health insurance that covers contraception and can’t be forced to tell the government when they don’t, according to an appeal ruling that pushes the fight toward the U.S. Supreme Court.
Deciding two cases Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals in St. Louis agreed with nonprofit groups that providing birth-control coverage burdens their right to free exercise of religion. The court also rejected the opt-out requirement for religious nonprofits.