Trump Administration Finalizes Rules that Allows Employers to Interfere with the Most Intimate Aspects of Women’s Health

Washington, D.C. – Millions of women may lose access to birth control and the critical role it plays in their and their families self-determination, because of the startling decision made today by the Trump administration. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) currently requires most insurance plans to cover contraceptives as a preventative service with no cost-sharing. To address religious or moral objections, some houses of worship, closely held corporations and non-profit organizations are exempt from the mandate. However, today the Trump administration significantly expanded these exemptions to allow other employers to exempt themselves from the mandate without evidence of a religious objection and with no mechanism for their employees to be guaranteed access to no-cost birth control. Colleges and universities also could exempt themselves from providing this important coverage in student health insurance policies. Following is the statement of Frederick Isasi, executive director of Families USA, on the impact this rule could have on America’s women and their families:

“The Trump administration has yet again shown its disregard for the profound importance of health care to the people of this nation. This rule would give businesses, and colleges and universities, the power to deny coverage for the most private of decisions – family planning – without evidence to support their claim of a religious or “moral” exemption.

“Today, the Trump administration created a dangerous precedent that employers and educational institutions can easily claim objections to coverage of required health care services they disagree with.

“First, President Trump strongly supports repeal legislation that erodes guaranteed coverage for required health care services, like maternity care, and now he issues a regulation that allows businesses, colleges and universities to interfere with women and families’ most intimate decisions. Women and their partners across this nation deserve the freedom to make their own decisions about their health and health care.”