Contraception News and Research

Latest Contraception News and Research

First Edition: July 7, 2014

Today's headlines include a range of stories related to the implementation of the health law, and the politics surrounding it.

7 Jul 2014

State highlights: N.C. lawmakers reach Medicaid agreement; Idaho asks SCOTUS to take up Medicaid reimbursement

For the past few weeks, two big issues have kept the two chambers of the General Assembly from reaching an agreement on next year's state budget: teacher salaries and Medicaid. But on Wednesday, the Senate and the House of Representatives finally moved closer to agreement on their Medicaid forecasts, loosening a logjam that's kept legislators in Raleigh past July 1, the beginning of the fiscal year (Hoban, 7/3).

4 Jul 2014

Viewpoints: Expanding Hobby Lobby decision; the faux war on women; dispute over pelvic exams

The Supreme Court wasted no time in delivering a message to anyone who thought its Hobby Lobby ruling was limited to religious objections to coverage of purported abortion methods: You're wrong.

4 Jul 2014

Administration cites Hobby Lobby ruling in response to challenge by religious nonprofits

The Obama administration cites the Supreme Court's opinion Wednesday to buttress its claim it has offered religious nonprofits an acceptable compromise to the health law's contraceptive coverage mandate. Meanwhile, House Democrats craft legislation that would bar for-profit companies from denying birth control coverage to their employees.

4 Jul 2014

First Edition: July 3,2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including more analysis of the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision and concerns in New York about significant insurance rate increases for 2015.

3 Jul 2014

Hobby Lobby ruling creates uncertainty about contraceptive mandate

The options the Supreme Court floated to extend coverage to women who work for closely held companies that object to covering contraception are opposed by some religious groups and women's rights groups. The compromise involves passing responsibility to an insurer.

3 Jul 2014

First Edition: July 2, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about a new audit's findings that the health law's online insurance marketplaces did not adequately screen applicants seeking subsidies.

2 Jul 2014

How many companies might be affected by contraceptive ruling?

Although Justice Alito said the Hobby Lobby decision would affect only a narrow group, others say many firms could fit in the definition of 'closely held.'

1 Jul 2014

Viewpoints: Hobby Lobby decision celebrated and panned; gender and religious politics explored

In ruling 5 to 4 that "closely held" companies can refuse on religious grounds to include contraceptives in their employees' health plans, the Supreme Court has needlessly interfered with an important provision of the Affordable Care Act. And it has done more than that (7/1).

1 Jul 2014

White House, members of Congress, candidates react to High Court ruling

News outlets tracked the immediate political fallout of the Supreme Court's Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores decision.

1 Jul 2014

Other religious challenges to mandate still await court decisions

Those cases generally involve nonprofit and religious organizations. Meanwhile, some employers who say their religious beliefs prevented them from complying with the contraceptive mandate say they plan to halt coverage of some methods following the Supreme Court decision, reports The Wall Street Journal, Meanwhile, attention moves to the administration as it attempts to draft new rules.

1 Jul 2014

High court decision allows some employers to bypass contraceptive mandate

The 5-4 ruling says some closely held corporations cannot be forced to provide services that are at odds with the owners' religious beliefs.

1 Jul 2014

In 5-4 decision, high court sides with Hobby Lobby

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday in a 5-4 split said "closely held" companies can on religious grounds opt out of a federal health-care law requirement that companies provide contraception coverage for employees, carving another piece from President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement.

1 Jul 2014

First Edition: Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including numerous reports about the Supreme Court's decision on the health law's contraception mandate and its effect for coverage and on national politics.

1 Jul 2014

Advocates and critics brace for High Court decision on contraceptive mandate

The Supreme Court is expected to release its ruling today on a case brought by the owners of Hobby Lobby craft store and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp., who object to being forced to offer some types of birth control.

30 Jun 2014

Merck reports results from global EMEND Phase 3 study for CINV prevention in pediatric cancer patients

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced results from a global, investigational Phase 3 study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of EMEND (aprepitant) in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in pediatric cancer patients, aged 6 months to 17 years.

30 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 30, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including an announcement coming today for a new VA secretary and expectations for a Supreme Court decision on the challenge to the health law's contraceptive mandate by two for-profit companies.

30 Jun 2014

Waiting on the Supreme Court's contraceptive mandate decision

The Fiscal Times examines the issues before the Supreme Court on a contraceptive mandate case. Other outlets look at how the health law marketplaces interact with private insurance sales and also at a decision by Sodexo to restore health benefits to thousands of college cafeteria workers after initially blaming the health law for dropping them.

28 Jun 2014

ASPIRE completes patient enrollment in Phase III trial of vaginal ring for HIV prevention

ASPIRE, one of two Phase III trials of a promising method for preventing HIV in women - a vaginal ring worn for a month at a time - has completed enrollment of participants, with 2,629 women from 15 clinical research sites in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe now taking part in the study.

27 Jun 2014

Exchange plans attract sicker consumers

An analysis of early medical claims shows that Americans enrolled in the health law's exchange plans have higher rates of serious health problems, according to The Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports that some small employers buying coverage for their workers are struggling with costs and logistics.

26 Jun 2014