Insurance Coverage for Contraception Cases Go to the Supreme Court

On November 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases based on the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).  The cases question whether corporations may refuse to provide insurance coverage for contraception to employees based on the corporation owners’ religious beliefs, according to the New York Times.  The ACA requires that employers’ health plans cover birth control, but exempts houses of worship and certain nonprofit religious and church-affiliated organizations.  According to the New York Times, the Obama administration has “said that commercial corporations could not rely on religious objections to opt out of compliance with the law.”  Lower courts are divided on this issue, prompting requests for the Supreme Court to take on the matter.  The two cases, Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius, will likely be argued in March and decided by June.