Health Insurance, Birth Control & the Affordable Care Act: Poll Finds Americans Favor Employers Covering Contraceptives Despite Religion Ahead of Supreme Court Decision
As the Supreme Court prepares to rule on two very important cases, a new poll has found that a majority of Americans favor having contraceptives paid for by their employers, regardless of the latter's religious beliefs.
The poll, conducted by Reuters and Ipsos, reveals that a slight majority doesn't believe companies should be exempt from providing contraceptives because of the owners' religious beliefs. The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, requires employers to cover the cost of contraceptives in their insurance programs, exempting only religious organizations.
The poll, which surveyed 10,693 people between April 28 and June 20, found that 53 percent disagreed with allowing employers to choose what forms of contraceptives their health plans provide based on their religious beliefs. Reuters reported that 35 percent agreed and 12 percent did not know how to answer.
The poll's results come a day before the Supreme Court issues its decision on the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Burwell cases. In the cases, generally known as the Hobby Lobby case, the arts and crafts retailer from Oklahoma and the wood cabinet company from Pennsylvania argue that, because of their owners' religious beliefs, they should be exempt from providing contraception for their employees under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.
According to NBC News, the ruling will determine whether a for-profit corporation has religious beliefs. Hobby Lobby is owned by evangelical Christians, Conestoga Wood Specialists is owned by Mennonites. The court could rule in various ways: in favor of the government, in favor of the plaintiffs or in favor of a compromise, one of which could argue that corporations have religious freedom but are not exempt from fulfilling government requirements.
On Monday morning, the nation will learn of the court's decision, which could change how the government influences business and how corporations are perceived.
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