(ChurchLeaders) In a 7-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a regulation allowing employers with religious or moral objections to restrict access to birth control through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The SCOUTS ruling, a victory for the Trump administration and the Catholic charity Little Sisters of the Poor, weakens the so-called contraceptive mandate, which has faced years of legal challenges.
The Obama-era ACA required that employer-provided health insurance plans cover birth control at no cost, classifying it as preventative.