A US federal appeals court has ruled that the Little Sisters of the Poor must comply with the contraceptive mandate in the “Obamacare” health plan.
The Tenth Circuit Court ruled that the Little Sisters are not an exempt religious institution because they are not directly affiliated with any particular house of worship.
The court said that the Obama administration has provided sufficient accommodation for non-profit organisations—such as the Little Sisters—that have moral objections to providing contraceptive coverage in employee health insurance plans.
Under the latest plan, the Little Sisters would be required to provide the federal government with a formal declaration that they object to the contraceptive mandate.
By filing that form, they would trigger government action requiring their insurer to pay for contraceptive coverage.