Thursday, July 09, 2015

Cert. Filed In Religious Non-Profit Contraceptive Coverage Compromise

A petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court (full text) was filed yesterday in Houston Baptist University v. Burwell.  In the case, brought by three religiously affiliated colleges, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Obama administration's rules that allow religious non-profits to opt out of the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive coverage mandate by certifying their religious opposition and either notifying their insurer or plan administrator of their opposition, or furnishing the government with the name and contact information for their insurer or administrator. (See prior posting.) A Becket Fund press release announcing the filing of the petition says that three other petitions challenging the non-profit accommodation have already been filed with the Court.