The Biden administration withdraws proposed regulations on birth control coverage, maintaining employers’ right to opt out.
At a Glance
- Biden administration withdraws proposal to limit employer exemptions for birth control coverage.
- Trump-era regulations allowing broad exemptions for employers remain in place.
- Conservative groups welcome the decision as a victory for religious liberty.
- Withdrawal leaves an estimated 130,000 people without expanded contraceptive coverage.
Biden Administration Reverses Course on Birth Control Coverage
The Biden administration has made a surprising move by withdrawing proposed regulations aimed at improving access to contraception. This decision maintains the Trump-era framework that allows employers to opt out of covering birth control based on religious or moral objections. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the rescission of these regulations, which would have prohibited exemptions based on “non-religious moral objections” to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraception mandate.
Biden admin withdraws plan to expand birth control access, keeping exemptions for religious & moral objections. 🚫💊 #BidenAdmin #BirthControlRules @WhiteHouse @HHSGov Details: https://t.co/mWZYyvsoB8
— David Carlisle (@dqc1985) December 24, 2024
The withdrawal of these regulations comes as a shock to many, considering the administration’s previous stance on expanding access to contraception. The proposed rules would have included a workaround for employees of religious organizations to access free birth control directly from healthcare providers. However, the decision to withdraw the regulations is reportedly to allow the administration to focus on other priorities in its final days.
Conservative Groups Celebrate Decision
Conservative groups, such as the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, have welcomed the withdrawal of the proposed regulations. These organizations view the decision as a crucial victory in the broader discourse concerning religious freedoms and moral rights within healthcare legislation.
The withdrawal leaves in place Trump-era regulations that allow broad exemptions for employers to opt out of contraceptive coverage. This decision upholds the statute enabling these exemptions and is seen as a win for groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor, who have been engaged in legal efforts to combat mandates that conflict with religious beliefs.
Impact on Contraceptive Access
The Biden administration had initially estimated that the proposed rule changes would have made 130,000 more people eligible for contraceptive coverage. The ACA requires insurers to cover preventive health services, including contraception, at no cost, which has been credited with reducing unintended pregnancies. However, since 2018, private health plans have been able to exclude contraceptive coverage for objecting employers, affecting access to free contraceptives.
The elimination of federal abortion protections in 2022 has increased the importance of affordable contraception access. Despite this, the administration’s decision to withdraw the proposed regulations means that the Trump-era opt-in mechanism for contraceptive coverage will remain in place, requiring objecting entities to participate in the accommodation.
Looking Ahead
As the Biden administration enters its final days, the focus on other priorities has led to this unexpected decision. The withdrawal of these regulations has reignited the debate on the balance between religious liberty and access to healthcare services. While conservative groups celebrate this as a victory for religious freedom, advocates for expanded contraceptive access express concern about the potential impact on women’s health and reproductive rights.
The decision to maintain the current framework of employer exemptions for birth control coverage will likely continue to be a point of contention in the ongoing national conversation about healthcare policy and religious liberty. As the political landscape evolves, the issue of contraceptive coverage and employer exemptions remains a complex and divisive topic in American healthcare policy.
Sources:
- Biden administration withdraws birth control rules
- Biden administration scraps rules to expand birth control access
- Biden HHS Scraps Proposed Rule Forcing Employers to Cover Birth Control
