Churches' Challenge To Required Abortion Health Care Coverage Rejected

In Foothill Church v. Rouillard, (ED CA, March 7, 2019). a California federal district court dismissed a suit brought by three churches challenging a ruling by the California Department of Managed Health Care that requires health insurance companies to include coverage for abortion services in all health insurance policies.  Rejecting the churches' Free Exercise claim, the court held that the churches have not alleged sufficient facts to call into question the defense that the ruling is a neutral law of general applicability. It also rejected the churches' equal protection claim saying that there was no showing that the state acted with the intent to adversely affect plaintiffs' religious beliefs.