Contraceptive coverage case still pending as high court's term nears end

Jun 17 2014

The decision on the legal challenge to the health law's birth control mandate will be issued by the end of this month. Also yet to be released is the Supreme Court's opinion on abortion opponents' free-speech challenge to a Massachusetts law mandating a 35-foot protest-free zone on public sidewalks outside abortion clinics.

Politico: Hobby Lobby Aims For Obamacare Win, Christian Nation
The evangelical owners of Hobby Lobby made a fortune selling crafts supplies and made headlines fighting government-mandated birth control coverage. They're also using their billions to sell the American public on the literal truth of Scripture -; through a public-school Bible curriculum, a huge museum around the corner from the Smithsonian and public forums on the faith of the founding fathers. The Green family may be best known in secular circles for their lawsuit against Obamacare, a high-stakes -; and highly political -; case that could undercut the administration's goal of setting minimum standards for health care coverage. By the end of this month, the Supreme Court will decide if the federal government can force the Greens to include methods of contraception they deem sinful as part of employees' health insurance (Simon, 6/16).

The Associated Press: Supreme Court To Decide 17 More Cases
It's crunch time at the Supreme Court, where the justices are racing to issue opinions in 17 cases over the next two weeks. The religious rights of corporations, the speech rights of abortion protesters and the privacy rights of people under arrest are among the significant issues that are so far unresolved. … A look at some of the cases that remain: Contraceptive coverage: Corporations are claiming the right to exercise religious objections to covering women's contraceptives under their employee health insurance plans, despite the new health law's requirement that birth control be among a range of no-cost preventive services included in health plans. Abortion clinic buffer zones: Abortion opponents are challenging as a violation of their speech rights a Massachusetts law mandating a 35-foot protest-free zone on public sidewalks outside abortion clinics (6/16).

Earlier, related Kaiser Health News coverage: What's At Stake For Birth Control In Upcoming SCOTUS Decision (Rovner, 6/13).