Large Catholic Institutions Offered Contraception Even Before Required To Do So

[Tx4obama]

Feb 9, 2012

Large Catholic Institutions Offered Contraception Even Before Required To Do So

While Republicans and the United Conference of Catholic Bishops claim that the Obama’s contraception regulation represents an “unprecedented” attack on the religious liberties of organizations that oppose the use of birth control, ThinkProgress has chronicled the growing number of institutions that are already providing the benefit as part of their overall health care coverage. For instance, Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and DePaul University in Illinois offer employees the option of receiving contraception and so do Catholic organizations across the country.

For instance, the New York Times reported in 2002 that the Catholic Archdiocese of New York extended contraception coverage before the state passed its requirement. Catholic universities, Marquette and Mount Mary in Wisconsin were also offering the benefit prior to enactment of the state’s contraception equity clause in 2010. “Marquette’s policy recognizes that a significant portion of the university’s employees are non-Catholic and that contraceptives are at times prescribed by physicians for purposes other than birth control, spokeswoman Mary Pat Pfeil said.” She stressed that “the choice to use a contraceptive is both a medical decision and a matter of conscience.”

SNIP

More here: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/09/422281/large-catholic-institutions-offered-contraception-even-before-mandated-to-do-so/

Feb 7, 2012

Many Catholic Universities, Hospitals Already Cover Contraception In Their Health Insurance Plans

Catholic leaders and the GOP presidential candidates have intentionally distorted the Obama administration’s new rule requiring employers and insurers to provide reproductive health benefits at no additional cost sharing. Conservatives are seeking a way to politically unite Republican voters around a social issue and portray the regulation as a big government intrusion into religious liberties. In reality, the mandate is modeled on existing rules in six states, exempts houses of worship and other religious nonprofits that primarily employ and serve people of faith, and offers employers a transitional period of one year to determine how best to comply with the rule.

It’s also nothing new. Twenty-eight states already require organizations that offer prescription insurance to cover contraception and since 98 percent of Catholic women use birth control, many Catholic institutions offer the benefit to their employees. For instance, a Georgetown University spokesperson told ThinkProgress yesterday that employees “have access to health insurance plans offered and designed by national providers to a national pool. These plans include coverage for birth control.”

Similarly, an informal survey conducted by Our Sunday Visitor found that many Catholic colleges have purchased insurance plans that provide contraception benefits: SNIP

SNIP

More here: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/07/420114/many-catholic-universities-hospitals-already-offer-contraception-as-part-of-their-health-insurance-plans/

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Both articles are really Good Reads

[NAO]

1. Unfortunately, FACTS don't matter to this crowd

that's why they are making it a "principle" issue.

Even they know that nearly all Catholics of childbearing age ACTUALLY USE b/c.

So it's not about b/c, or if they were already providing b/c, it's only about BIG GOVERNMENT FORCING poor, persecuted religionists to (whatever)...

Religiousil

[MountainLaurel]

2. One note

Only very recently (within the past 5 years) has Georgetown started to cover contraception. And only one of the insurance plans available to staff offers contraceptive coverage, which happens to be the one that's really crappy in a lot of other ways in terms of deductibles and premiums.

[ellisonz]

3. This is a public health issue IMHO, not a question of religious freedom. n/t