Obama’s rule change misses the point

President Obama responded to protests created by the contraception coverage “health care” mandate. The original mandate required all religious groups - except for churches - to pay for contraceptives for their employees, individual and group health insurance plans, including self-insured plans, to cover contraception, sterilization procedures and pharmaceuticals that result in abortion.

“Under the rule women will still have access to free, preventive care,” stated President Obama. “That includes contraceptive services no matter where they work. But if a woman's employer is a charity or a hospital that has a religious objection to providing contraceptive services as part of their health plan, the insurance company - not the hospital, not the charity - will be required to reach out and offer the woman the contraceptive care free of charge without co-pays and without hassles.”

How is religious freedom protected when religious organizations will still have to provide insurance that covers services that violate their religious beliefs?

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is not satisfied with the president's new ruling: “First, he has decided to retain HHS's (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) nationwide mandate of insurance coverage of sterilization and contraception, including some abortifacients. This is both unsupported in the law and remains a grave moral concern” (http://usccb.org/news/2012/12-026.cfm).

Every American should join the Bishops' call to “to join together in this effort to protect religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all.”

Michael E. Mallie

Kalona