The Supreme Court has decided to take up all seven of the cases challenging the Obamacare mandate that requires workplaces to provide birth control to female employees.
The most notable of these seven petitioners are the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic organization that provides housing and care for the elderly poor. In accordance to their religious beliefs, they do not provide contraceptives to their female employees, but this violates a regulation stemming from the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. In September, Pope Francis visited with the sisters in support of their legal fight.
This is the fourth time the court will consider challenges to the Obamacare birth-control mandate. In last year’s Hobby Lobby decision, the court determined that a for-profit business could abstain from paying for their employees’ birth control because forcing companies to do otherwise would violate their right to free speech. These cases, however, will determine whether religious, non-profit organizations are afforded that same right.
