President Trump is set to lift the federal requirement for employers to include birth control in their employees’ health insurance plans.
The rollback could happen as soon as Friday, according to The New York Times. The new rules make the argument that the Affordable Care Act does not specifically mandate contraceptive coverage.
The move would fulfill a campaign promise from Trump and would allow a larger group of employers and insurers to claim religious or moral exemptions from covering birth control.
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The Obama administration’s birth control mandate has been disputed by some religious groups, particularly Catholic organizations, which have argued that having to pay for their employees’ birth control violates their religious beliefs.
While ObamaCare does not explicitly say that employers have to cover contraception in health insurance plans, the Obama administration determined that the rule was necessary for protecting women’s health.
The new rules will go into effect after they are published on the Federal Register, according to the Times.
The rule changes, however, are certain to prompt new lawsuits, including from the National Women’s Law Center, which has said that it would challenge any effort by the Trump administration to lift the birth control mandate.