The Supreme Court has agreed to review two cases involving the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate, setting up a high-profile showdown next year. The decision to take up the challenge to the contraceptive mandate was expected. It will certainly reignite what has been a fierce debate over the provision of the federal health care law that requires employers to provide health insurance covering birth control and family-planning methods.
Hobby Lobby, a craft chain with about 13,000 employees, as well as at least 30 other for-profit companies, have filed lawsuits claiming that the mandate violates their religious beliefs and the First Amendment. They are suing under a 1993 federal law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The Supreme Court is taking up suits brought by Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp.
Lower courts' decisions in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. were mixed. In June, the Denver federal appeals court, ruled that religious freedom "can be communicated by individuals and for-profit corporations alike." A Philadelphia federal appeals court had ruled in July that "for-profit, secular corporations cannot engage in religious exercise."
The Obama administration is now seeking for the Supreme Court to reverse the Denver court's ruling.
The cases are expected to be taken up in the spring.
The White House released a statement on the Supreme Court taking up the case, from press secretary Jay Carney:
The health care law puts women and families in control of their health care by covering vital preventive care, like cancer screenings and birth control, free of charge. Earlier this year, the Obama Administration asked the Supreme Court to consider a legal challenge to the health care law’s requirement that for-profit corporations include birth control coverage in insurance available to their employees. We believe this requirement is lawful and essential to women’s health and are confident the Supreme Court will agree.
We do not comment on specifics of a case pending before the Court. As a general matter, our policy is designed to ensure that health care decisions are made between a woman and her doctor. The President believes that no one, including the government or for-profit corporations, should be able to dictate those decisions to women. The Administration has already acted to ensure no church or similar religious institution will be forced to provide contraception coverage and has made a commonsense accommodation for non-profit religious organizations that object to contraception on religious grounds. These steps protect both women’s health and religious beliefs, and seek to ensure that women and families — not their bosses or corporate CEOs —c an make personal health decisions based on their needs and their budgets.
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Reported by Business Insider 8 hours ago.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck Claims Young People Without Health Insurance are 'Playing It Smart' (Video)
Filed under: Health Care, U.S. Government, Scandals and Lawsuits, Barack Obama, Health Insurance
Enroll America Pennsylvania has made Philadelphia its first official city partner in efforts to spread information to the general public about how citizens can sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, Mayor Michael Nutter announced today. Nutter conceded that Obamacare has had “a bit of a rocky start,” but urged citizens to take advantage of Enroll America's assistance. “I hope more Philadelphians will make their health and well-being a priority and get enrolled,” he said. Nutter said that there are more than 210,000 uninsured people in Philadelphia. Of these, 135,000 people should be eligible to sign up through the Affordable Care Act, said deputy mayor for health Dr. Donald Schwarz. Now some city employees, agencies such as the Free Library, and 311 operators are trained to assist citizens in signing up for insurance through the government exchange. Enroll America has been working in Philadelphia since Sept. 1 to spread information about the Affordable Care Act to citizens, by attending community meetings and going door to door with brochures and signing people up for informational mailings, according to Pennsylvania State Director Bill England. “We’re sweeping everywhere across the city,” England said. Citizens must sign up through the government's health care exchange by Dec. 23 to be insured as of Jan. 1, 2014. Philadelphia residents who are eligible for a government subsidy will still need to sign up online through HealthCare.gov or over the phone. The only insurers currently offered on the exchange in Philadelphia are Independence Blue Cross or Aetna. "We are ready for these individuals and look forward to serving them," said Aetna spokeswoman Susan Millerick. Residents can determine whether they are eligible for a subsidy at HealthCare.gov or Independence Blue Cross's site ibx4you.com, which also allows them to sign up for health care coverage through Independence Blue Cross. “The website got off to a bad start,” Dr. Schwarz said at the press conference. “But websites and the phones work enough that people should be able to exercise all options to get insured by January 1st.”
Reported by metronews 6 hours ago.
On Tuesday, Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Americans, including liberals who relied on Obama's false promises on healthcare, will be "mugged by reality" when the employer mandate hits next year and nearly 80 million more Americans will lose their insurance plans. She said the country has seen "nuthin' yet" when it comes to the damage Obamacare will do. 
Americans are expressing outrage and sticker shock over the cancellation of their health insurance plans due to Obamacare and the increased costs of the plans being offered to replace them. 
