Supreme Court ruling on birth control could have ripple effects beyond unwanted pregnancy
Between 70,500 and 126,400 people could lose access to contraception, according to government estimates. (Pixabay/)On July 8, the Supreme Court made it easier for employers to deny contraception coverage to their employees on religious or moral grounds.The Affordable Care Act mandates that employers must provide coverage for birth control at no out-of-pocket cost. Houses of worship are exempt from this requirement. Religiously affiliated organizations such as universities and hospitals, and some for-profit companies, have had an accommodation that allows them to opt out of directly paying for birth control; if they give notice of their objection, their health insurer would cover the cost.But the new decision, in which Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissented, allows more employers to refuse to provide health insurance that covers the cost of contraception. Now virtually any employer, including publicly traded companies, can seek an exemption from the Trump administration based on religious...