Just the Facts: Churches and the Contraceptive Coverage Mandate

[sinkingfeeling]

http://www.truthout.org/just-facts-churches-and-contraceptive-coverage-mandate/1328214331

Misinformation on how the rules works has leaked into the media. For instance, pro-life and religious groups continue to claim the rule would force employers to pay for drugs that cause abortion, which the administration says is not the case. Senior White House officials held a conference call with reporters on Thursday to clear up any misunderstandings. Here's a rundown of the most important facts according to those who actually wrote the rule:

•Under the Affordable Care Act, employers and private insurance providers will be required to provide reproductive preventative services, including birth control and other contraceptives, to women who choose to use them. The services are free of charge at the point of service and provided without co-pays, deductibles and cost-shares.

•Nonprofit organizations that "primarily" exist to spread their religious values and primarily serve and employ people who share those values are exempt from the rule. This means that churches and houses of worship are exempt, but religiously affiliated schools and hospitals that serve and employ people of different faiths are not exempt.

•Officials said that some parochial schools could qualify for the exemption if they exist to teach religion and primarily serve and employ fellow believers.


More true facts about this at the link.

[baldguy]

1. Conservatives lying about the new health care law. Who wudda guessed?

[DURHAM D]

2. I have no problem with this -

"Officials said that some parochial schools could qualify for the exemption if they exist to teach religion and primarily serve and employ fellow believers."

This is OK with me as long as they don't receive one penny of taxpayer funds.

[HockeyMom]

3. Difficult argument to make on Religious Universities

They would be exempt. Just to use Catholics as an example, all the Professors are Catholic? I doubt that. Does every student have to be or take a course on the Catholic Religion? No. We looked at a few colleges for my daughter; mostly because she was an athlete, not for the religion.

Elmentary and HS? That is more of a grey area. They teach religion to the students and at least with the Catholic ones, the teachers are required to have taken courses on the religion, even if they don't teach it. The teachers are expected to be Catholic and follow the religion to answer questions on religion.

However, this doesn't apply to office staff or cafeteria workers. How would they justify the exemption applies to them? When I was in Catholic school back in the 50s, the school bused in poor students from Harlem. They were Baptists and were not required to pray in school, take religion, prepare for Communion, or go to Mass. They all went to study hall during these times. In fact one of their Mom's went to work in the cafeteria. If they exempted non-teaching staff, and even students, from any religious requirements, how could they claim an exemption?

Personally, I think they might have an argument with churches, but schools would be a major problem.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Then the law is correct. It exempts only churches & perhaps, some schools.

"This means that churches and houses of worship are exempt, but religiously affiliated schools and hospitals that serve and employ people of different faiths are not exempt. "

[HockeyMom]

5. Hospitals definitely NOT

If a town only has a religious affiliated hospital, and that is increasing, the people from the town, or the hospital staff, will all be of that religion? That happened where I used to live. The people where I used to live fought this, specifically because of the birth control/sterilization ban in Catholic Hospitals. I knew women who went to the State Hospital 15 miles away because they wanted their tubes tied after giving birth. The Catholic Hospital wouldn't do that.

The Police Department also brought rape victims to the State Hospital because the Catholic Hospital would refuse to give the Morning After Pill to the victims.