SCOTUS Upholds Firms' Religious Objections to Contraceptives

So the United States Supreme Court issue a ruling yesterday stating that privately held companies can object to offering contraceptives through employee insurance on religious grounds. This ruling can be seen along ideology as the conservative section of the court rule in favor of family and closely held companies can opt out of this part of President Obama's Affordable Care Act. I notice there were some people trying to "calm the storm" by stating this only effect a small number of businesses who fall within this category of being privately owned companies. Here is the problem for me. While the number may be small, nearly 10,000 women will be affected.

In addition, I agree with Ruth Ginsburg's dissenting opinion articulating a possibility of other companies - large and small - finding loopholes to avoid insurance costs to their employees. This is a strong possibility because I have read about what happened when the conservative section of the Supreme Court gutted Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act last year, which stated certain states with a history of racial voting intimidation must seek Federal Preclearance before enacting a new voting law. After the Supreme Court remove this provision, these same states enacted discriminatory laws effecting minority, elderly, and young voters. Personally, I feel some of these companies are not all that anti-contraceptive. They just don't want the burden of the cost to provide insurance to their employees.

This is a difficult issue to tackle. In one way I believe that an employer has the right to give out the health insurance that they themselves would follow. The Hobby Lobby employers have set up their own health care policies. The elected that type of health insurance policy for themselves. As they began employing more and more employees they never changed those policies because those same policies fit their religious life or way of life. Those employees have to accept the same health care that the owners have. If the changes insurance policies, then it would cost them a lot more money to offer insurance for their employees.

Employees still have the insurance that pays for their office visit. However, if the doctor prescribes medications uncovered by their health plan. If employees do not like their health plan then they have the option to go into their pockets to pay for prescriptions that their health plans do not approve. Employees have been doing this since the early 1970s. What else is new?