Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Court Issues Nationwide Injunction Against Trump Rules Easing Health Law's Contraception Coverage Requirements
The New York Times: Court Blocks Trump Administration Restrictions On Birth Control
A federal court issued a nationwide injunction on Monday that prevents the Trump administration from interfering with women’s access to free birth control guaranteed under the Affordable Care Act. The decision, by Judge Wendy Beetlestone of the Federal District Court in Philadelphia, extends a losing streak for President Trump, who has repeatedly been set back in his efforts to allow employers to deny insurance coverage of contraceptives to which the employers object on religious or moral grounds. (Pear, 1/14)
Reuters: Second U.S. Judge Blocks Trump Administration Birth Control Rules
U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia issued a nationwide injunction preventing the rules from taking effect, a day after another judge issued a more limited ruling blocking their enforcement in 13 states and the District of Columbia. The rules would let businesses or nonprofits lodge religious or moral objections to obtain exemptions from the Obamacare mandate that employers provide contraceptive coverage in health insurance with no copayment. (1/14)
The Washington Post: Judge Blocks Trump Effort To Roll Back Birth Control Mandate Nationwide
In a 65-page opinion, Beetlestone concludes the Trump administration’s effort to carve out coverage of contraceptives for stricter limits than other types of preventive care “is inconsistent with the . . . text” of the ACA. And she rejects the contention that broader exemptions for birth control are required under a 1993 law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The judge said states would bear expenses from women seeking state-funded contraceptive services and from unintended pregnancies. Noting that federal health officials estimate 70,500 women would lose coverage under the policy, Beetlestone wrote: “The only serious disagreement is not whether the states will be harmed, but how much.” (Goldstein, 1/14)
The Hill: Judge Blocks Trump Rollback Of ObamaCare Birth Control Exemptions Nationwide
The rule would allow employers with moral or religious objections to birth control to opt out of providing it to their employees. Numerous citizens could lose contraception coverage if the rule were enforced, Beetlestone wrote in her ruling, causing "significant, direct and proprietary harm" to the states through increased use of state-funded contraception services. (Hellmann, 1/14)
Bloomberg: Trump Rules Allowing Contraception Opt-Out Blocked By Judge
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and his New Jersey counterpart, Gurbir Grewal, who challenged exemption rules finalized in December, declared the decision a win for women. “Women need contraception for their health because contraception is medicine, pure and simple,” Shapiro said in a statement. (Larson, 1/14)
The Wall Street Journal: Judge Blocks Rules Allowing Employers To Opt Out Of Covering Birth Control
The rulings were early steps in what is likely to be a long court battle that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Officials in multiple states, including California, have sued the Trump administration over the contraception rules. “Until these discriminatory rules are blocked for good, the health and livelihoods of millions across the country are still threatened,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women’s Law Center, a liberal-leaning nonprofit that advocates for women and families. (Hackman, 1/14)
