More Catholic Businessmen Sue Challenging ACA Contraceptive Coverage Mandate

Last week, one more lawsuit challenging the contraceptive coverage mandate under the Affordable Care Act was filed-- this time in federal district court in Minnesota.  The complaint (full text) in Annex Medical, Inc. v. Sebelius, (D MN, filed 11/2/2012), alleges that the individual plaintiffs are two devout Catholic businessmen, one of whom owns co-plaintiff Annex Medical, and the other of whom plans to buy a business in 2013. The plaintiffs:

believe that paying for a group health insurance plan that complies with Defendants’ Mandate is sinful and immoral because it requires them and/or the businesses they control to pay for contraception, sterilization, abortifacient drugs and related education and counseling in violation of their sincere and deeply-held religious beliefs and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

The complaint lists a number of business decisions made by plaintiffs in the past based on their religious values, including a decision by one of the plaintiffs last June to accept a below-market value offer for his former business, in part to avoid having to conform its group health plan to the mandate. The law firm representing plaintiffs issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit.