Catholic Group Must Cover Birth Control
In a case watched nationwide, state high court says a religious charity must include contraceptives in its employee drug plan.By Maura Dolan, Times Staff Writer
SAN FRANCISCO — Catholic Charities must include contraceptives in its employee prescription drug coverage, even though the church believes birth control is sinful, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday.
The 6-1 ruling came in a case that has been watched around the country as a contest between advocates of making contraceptives widely available to women and religious groups that have sought broad exemptions based on their faiths.
California is one of 20 states that require employers offering prescription drug benefits to also provide coverage for contraceptives. The state's law requiring coverage, passed in 1999, exempts churches. Catholic Charities argued that as an arm of the Roman Catholic Church, it should be exempt as well. The justices rejected that claim in a ruling that is expected to affect other religious employers, including hospitals and colleges, and influence courts in other states.
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