The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”, also referred to by the media as “Obamacare”) was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. As with all laws, Federal Regulations are developed to define how to comply with the law.
On August 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued a “final interim rule” (the “HHS Mandate”) that would require almost all private health care plans to provide their members, at no out of pocket cost to the insured, access to female sterilization procedures and contraceptive prescription drugs, including abortion-inducing drugs.
A very narrow “religious exemption” was offered to religious employers who hire members of their own faith, serve only members of their own faith, and whose mission is to inculcate that faith. This exemption would not cover religious schools, hospitals, charities and other such groups. It would not cover health insurance providers or any other private employer… or even private individuals in the market for health insurance. In other words, the exemption would likely protect only small churches with minimal staffs and no outreach to members of other faiths.
This regulation would require compliance effective August 1, 2013 for those religious-affiliated groups who object… one year later than the rest of the population… one additional year to figure out how to violate conscience.
Answering Common Objections to the Catholic Position
It is imperative that each of us who oppose this regulation equip ourselves to engage in charitable, but firm and persuasive, dialog with friends and family. It is up to us, along with our religious leaders, to bring light to this attack on Religious Freedom and Conscience.Answers to eight common objections to the Catholic position follow:
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