On Friday the White House announced that the health care preventive services coverage for women under the Affordable Care Act will provide contraception directly from health insurance companies without a co-pay or deductible while still allowing religious groups to be exempt from having direct involvement with such services if they so choose.
Such a policy accommodates the preventive care needs for women while still allowing religious organization employers to remain true to their internal policies and doctrines.
The Affordable Care Act, which became law in March of 2010, requires by law that as of August 1, 2012 private health care companies must offer preventative services to women without charging a co-pay. According to the fact sheet on the policy released on the White House website on Friday, these preventive services as recommended for the law to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science include “well women visits, domestic violence screening and contraception.”
Concerning the cost to the insurance companies, covering these services will actually lower their overall coverage costs, and may result in lowered premiums to the customer. In Hawaii where a similar plan is already in place for the Federal Employees Health Benefit System, the White House stated that a study showed a reduction in premium costs of at least 10%.
As listed on the fact sheet, the published rules to be set in place for this policy:
- “Exempts churches, other houses of worship, and similar organizations from covering contraception on the basis of their religious objections.
- Establishes a one year transition period for religious organizations while this policy is being implemented.
- The President will also announce that his Administration will propose and finalize a new regulation during this transition year to address the religious objections of the non-exempted religious organizations. The new regulation will require insurance companies to cover contraception if the non-exempted religious organization chooses not to. Under the policy:
- Religious organizations will not have to provide contraceptive coverage or refer their employees to organizations that provide contraception.
- Religious organizations will not be required to subsidize the cost of contraception.
- Contraception coverage will be offered to women by their employers’ insurance companies directly, with no role for religious employers who oppose contraception.
- Insurance companies will be required to provide contraception coverage to these women free of charge.”
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