Catholics offended by Federal Health Insurance Mandate

A news update regarding potential changes to Georgia Personal Insurance regulations, from your Georgia Insurance problem Solvers courtesy of AJC.com:

Catholics  are being urged by Atlanta Archbishop, Wilton D. Gregory to press elected officials to repeal a federal mandate that requires church affiliated institutions to offer health coverage that includes birth control services.

Gregory calls the decision a “direct attach on our religious freedom and our First Amendment rights.” Area priests shared this on Sunday during mass.

"As a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled either to violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so)," Gregory said in the letter. "The administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.”

The debate is over a requirement for health coverage, that includes preventative services such as contraception or sterilization. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius believes that women won’t have to “forego these services because of expensive co-pays or deductibles, or because an insurance plan doesn’t include contraceptive services.”

Even though the mandate does not apply to churches, it does impact religious affiliations such as colleges, schools, social service agencies and hospitals.

Nonprofit employers, who do not currently provide contraceptive insurance coverage based on religious beliefs, will have until August 1 2013 to with the new regulations.

"I think it's an attack on our religious freedom," he said. "In the past, any religious institution -- not just Catholic -- received an exemption. We don't understand why this can't be the case now. This is completely unacceptable."

St. Joseph’s Health Systems chief mission officer, Bill Garrett calls this a “clear violation” of freedom of religion and conscience.

"We will be seeking the one-year waiver from implementation of these changes," he said. "During the year we will observe what the courts conclude about this change in regulations."

*The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Associated Press were the sources cited and consulted in this article.

Poole, Shelia M. "Catholics Upset by Federal Health Insurance Mandate  | Ajc.com." AJC.com. AJC, 1 Feb. 2012. Web. 01 Feb. 2012. <http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/catholics-upset-by-federal-1326084.html?cxtype=rss_news>.