New Health Care Contraceptive Policy Announced; AMU's Towey "Disappointed"
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Published on Friday, 01 February 2013 20:56
The Obama administration proposed a work-around to its health care contraceptive mandate Friday that allows employers of religious-based organizations to offer health-care plans that don't cover birth control services, but makes available a separate means for women to get free insurance that covers such services at no cost.
The new regulations "do not appear to settle anything," Ave Maria University President Jim Towey, who has stated that the school will not provide insurance that covers services that are against Catholic teaching and has filed a lawsuit against the mandate.
"We are disappointed with today's announcement," Mr. Towey said in a statement. "The Obama administration blew it again."
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, head of the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops, had no immediate reaction saying he needed to study the government's 80-page proposal in detail. Mr. Towey said the university's lawsuit will remain in federal court "until we have heard where our country's Catholic bishops stand."
The new proposed rules let "eligible organizations" that are affiliated with religious organizations to provide health-care coverage that does not cover birth control services, but women at those organizations would still receive that coverage from a separate no-cost policy provided either by the insurance company or, in the case of self-insured organizations, a third party. The rules provide no latitude for private companies who opposed the mandate on religious principles, many of whom are also suing the federal government.
The full text of Mr. Towey's statement is below.
For other coverage and analysis:
Click here for story from the Associated Press
Click here for analysis from National Review "The HHS Mandate Isn't Fixed"
Statement from Ave Maria University President Jim Towey
The Obama Administration blew it again. It wasted nearly a full year writing new, 80 page regulations that do not appear to settle anything. With all of the challenges our country faces at home and abroad, the Obama administration seems intent on picking a fight with faith-based employers like Ave Maria University, and private businesses everywhere who don't feel they lost their First Amendment rights when they opened up shop. Today's announcement feels like yet another provocation.
All the government had to do today was broaden the definition of faith-based employers who merit protection from the HHS contraceptive services mandate. That would have taken their team of lawyers a half-page. But instead, the Obama administration, seemingly obsessed with providing free contraception and recklessly careless about the means it employs, chose to propose a bizarre, new bureaucracy to obscure who exactly is paying for the abortion-inducing drugs and other services covered by the mandate.
Ave Maria University's lawsuit opposing this mandate is in Federal Court and will remain there until we have heard where our country's Catholic bishops stand. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, the government has until August to fix this, and in eleven months the mandate takes effect.
We are disappointed with today's announcement.
