The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) released their opinion in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania, and ruled to uphold expanded exemptions to the Affordable Care Act’s birth control mandate for employers with religious or moral objections. This ruling goes against the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that all plans cover contraception, and allows employers and universities to deny their employees and students coverage for contraceptive care based on a religious or moral objection. This unfortunate ruling puts coverage at risk for people all over the country.
The Affordable Care Act’s birth control mandate has benefited over 62 million people who were able to access contraception and plan their families and their futures because of it. The people who have benefited the most from guaranteed contraception coverage are low-income folks, people of color, and young people. This ruling puts their access to basic sexual and reproductive health care at risk, and makes the health care disparities that exist due to systemic racism in our institutions that much worse.
What’s the Impact in California?
California law requires employers to cover access to birth control — a law that will remains in effect even under the courts’ decision — but self-employed insurance companies are not covered by this California statute. These companies could, under this ruling, stop providing birth control insurance coverage. While most Californians can still access coverage through their employer, 5.5 million risk losing coverage. But know this: Planned Parenthood remains committed to providing contraception to patients, and we are continuing to work with leadership to ensure that Californians who are at risk of losing employer coverage will have other avenues to access affordable birth control.
This ruling further shows that it’s not just abortion on the line with this Supreme Court, it’s all sexual and reproductive health care. While we are devastated by the SCOTUS ruling to rollback birth control coverage, we will continue to fight and work to expand, not ban, access to care in our state. Planned Parenthood’s doors remain open, and our patients can still get the care they need.
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Tags: Supreme Court