Birth Control Access Protected as Court Blocks New Rule
On Sunday, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocks the Trump administration from implementing new rules that would make it easier for employers to deny women health insurance coverage for contraceptives, reports the New York Times. The Affordable Care Act generally requires employers and insurers to provide contraceptive coverage at no charge. The Trump administration rules allow employers to opt out of this mandate if they have religious or moral objections. 13 states, led by California, sued over the rules on the grounds that they violate the ACA and would cause the plaintiff states economic harm. Though the plaintiff states sought a nationwide injunction, the injunction extends only to the 13 states that brought suit.
National Health Law Program Submits Comments to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) has led the Health Consumer Alliance (HCA) and advocates around the country in the fight for the reproductive rights of lower-income women, most recently by submitting comments urging the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to investigate the Trump administration’s rollback of reproductive and other civil rights. Along with NHeLP, the HCA will continue to monitor the states’ case with interest.
