Final ACA Rules Regarding Religious and Moral Exemptions and Accommodations for Objections to Coverage of Contraceptives

The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury recently released final rules regarding religious or moral objections to the coverage of contraceptives under the preventive services requirements of the Affordable Care Act (the ?Ç£ACA?Ç¥) as well as accommodations for those objections. Generally, the ACA requires non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers to cover all FDA-approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and related education and counseling. The final rules expand the religious exemption to this requirement to include all types of non-governmental employers, including for-profit corporations (regardless of their size or whether they are publicly or privately held). Moreover, the moral exemption applies to certain non-governmental employers, including privately held for-profit employers, insurers, and individuals. In addition, the new rules maintain the availability of the accommodation pursuant to which the entity?ÇÖs insurer or third party administrator is responsible for providing contraceptive services to the entity?ÇÖs plan participants, but the rules make it voluntary at the option of the objecting entity. Consequently, objecting entities can choose between providing contraceptive coverage, exercising the religious or moral exemption, or using an accommodation. The final rules are effective on January 14, 2019. View the final rules regarding religious exemptions and the final rules regarding moral exemptions