From the USCCB – Six Things Everyone Should Know…

Sr. Mary Ann Walsh  has published a blogpost entitled Six Things Everyone Should Know About The HHS Mandate, over at the USCCB Media Blog.

Six Things Everyone Should Know About the HHS Mandate

 1. The mandate does not exempt Catholic charities, schools, universities, or hospitals. These institutions are vital to the mission of the Church, but HHS does not deem them “religious employers” worthy of conscience protection, because they do not “serve primarily persons who share the[ir] religious tenets.” HHS denies these organizations religious freedom precisely because their purpose is to serve the common good of society—a purpose that government should encourage, not punish.

2. The mandate forces these institutions and others, against their conscience, to pay for things they consider immoral. Under the mandate, the government forces religious insurers to write policies that violate their beliefs; forces religious employers and schools to sponsor and subsidize coverage that violates their beliefs; and forces religious employees and students to purchase coverage that violates their beliefs.

3. The mandate forces coverage of sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs and devices as well as contraception. Though commonly called the “contraceptive mandate,” HHS’s mandate also forces employers to sponsor and subsidize coverage of sterilization. And, by including all drugs approved by the FDA for use as contraceptives, the HHS mandate includes drugs that can induce abortion, such as “Ella,” a close cousin of the abortion pill RU-486.

4. Catholics of all political persuasions are unified in their opposition to the mandate. Catholics who have long supported this Administration and its healthcare policies have publicly criticized HHS’s decision, including columnists E.J. Dionne, Mark Shields, and Michael Sean Winters; college presidents Father John Jenkins and Arturo Chavez; and Daughter of Charity Sister Carol Keehan, president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

5. Many other religious and secular people and groups have spoken out strongly against the mandate. Many recognize this as an assault on the broader principle of religious liberty, even if they disagree with the Church on the underlying moral question. For example, Protestant Christian, Orthodox Christian, and Orthodox Jewish groups–none of which oppose contraception–have issued statements against the decision. The Washington Post, USA Today, N.Y. Daily News, Detroit News, and other secular outlets, columnists, and bloggers have editorialized against it.

6. The federal mandate is much stricter than existing state mandates. HHS chose the narrowest state-level religious exemption as the model for its own. That exemption was drafted by the ACLU and exists in only 3 states (New York, California, Oregon). Even without a religious exemption, religious employers can already avoid the contraceptive mandates in 28 states by self-insuring their prescription drug coverage, dropping that coverage altogether, or opting for regulation under a federal law (ERISA) that pre-empts state law. The HHS mandate closes off all these avenues of relief.

Monday Musing

On January 20, 2012 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a statement about one of the elements of recent healthcare reforms. This decision entails what is expected from most employers for employees who wish to procure contraceptive services. This would mean that employer plans would be required to offer contraceptive coverage at no charge; this means no co-pay, deductible and would also cover plans that do not offer contraception.

The problem is this – there is very little room for a conscience clause. From the statement (which in its entirety can be read here):

After evaluating comments, we have decided to add an additional element to the final rule. Nonprofit employers who, based on religious beliefs, do not currently provide contraceptive coverage in their insurance plan, will be provided an additional year, until August 1, 2013, to comply with the new law.

The greatest impact will be felt by Catholic colleges and universities and by Catholic healthcare providers. While the claim that “churches” will be exempt, church run organizations will not be exempt. See this excerpt from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website:

Claim: “Churches are exempt from the new rules: Churches and other houses of worship will be exempt from the requirement to offer insurance that covers contraception.”

Response: This is not entirely true.To be eligible, even churches and houses of worship must show the government that they hire and serve primarily people of their own faith and have the inculcation of religious values as their purpose.Some churches may have service to the broader community as a major focus, for example, by providing direct service to the poor regardless of faith.Such churches would be denied an exemption precisely because their service to the common good is so great.More importantly,the vast array of other religious organizations – schools, hospitals, universities, charitable institutions – will clearly not be exempt.

There is a lot more information at that link and also at the USCCB conscience page.

Please become engaged with this issue. You can find the text of a letter from our own Bishop Hubbard here at the blog yesterday.

 

 

Urgent Update From the Bishop

Dear Parish Community,

Due to a communication mishap, we did not receive a letter from Bishop Hubbard calling our attention to the recent decision by the government to mandate Catholic employers who serve boundaries beyond the Roman Catholic community to offer their employees health coverage that includes contraceptives. This, in the words of Bishop Hubbard is a “substantial intrusion on our First Amendment right to Freedom of Religion.”

I have received this letter in my home email today and am reprinting it here. We will have copies in the parish office and in the gathering space. It will be inserted into our bulletin next week. You will also be able to find a copy on our website.

Thank you for your attention to this. Please let us know if you have any questions.

January 31, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

I write concerning a serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith.  The federal government, which is designed to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people—the Catholic population—and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic Church.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced recently that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception.  Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write.  And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.

In so ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics and others our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty.  As a result, unless the rule is overturned, the institutions of the Catholic Church such as schools, colleges, hospitals nursing homes and catholic charities agencies, will be compelled either to violate their moral consciences, or to drop health coverage for their employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so).  The government’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

People of faith cannot be made second class citizens nor can the First Amendment to our Constitution be thrashed to suit the fads and fashions of the moment.  We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom which has been such an important part of our nation’s greatness.

As Cardinal designate Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, in response to this ruling, stated: “The Catholic Church defends religious liberty, including freedom of conscience, for everyone.  The Amish do not carry health insurance.  The government respects their principles.  Christian Scientists want to heal by prayer alone, and the new health-care reform law respects that.  Quakers and others object to killing even in wartime, and the government respects that principle for conscientious objectors.  By its decision the government has failed to show the same respect for the consciences of Catholics and others who object to treating pregnancy as a disease.”

In light of this government intrusion on religious freedom during the forthcoming Lenten Season, I would ask of you two things.  First, as a community of faith we commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored.  Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible.  Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience, to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the government’s decision.

With gratitude for your attention to this matter, I am

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Howard J. Hubbard

Bishop of Albany