One in 10 nonprofit organizations that have more than 1,000 employees have asked for an “accommodation” to the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that health plans include coverage for contraception.
Federal rules allow religiously-affiliated nonprofits that oppose contraception on religious grounds, but are not houses of worship, to have these services offered without cost-sharing by the nonprofits. The accommodation is designed to respect the beliefs of the nonprofits while ensuring that their female employees and dependents have full contraceptive coverage.
The issue of contraception coverage for employees of religiously-oriented employers is again before the U.S. Supreme Court, with a decision expected by June of 2016.
A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 10% of nonprofits with more than 1,000 employees have requested an accommodation to the health law's birth control requirement. Overall, 3% of nonprofits with 10 or more employees reported they have sought an accommodation.
Many of the nonprofits that have sought the accommodation are health systems or educational institutions affiliated with the Catholic Church, which objects to birth control, Kaiser said.
The study is based on responses to the Kaiser/Health Research & Educational Trust 2015 Annual Employer Health Benefits Survey.