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Pennsylvania Judge Ruling Restores Obamacare Mandate That Employers Must Provide Free Birth Control

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Matt M. Miller Contributor
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A federal judge in Philadelphia, PA, has issued a nationwide injunction blocking a Trump administration healthcare policy that would allow employers to choose whether or not to provide free birth control to employees. The policy was supposed to take effect on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone issued the injunction on Monday, temporarily preventing the policy from taking effect that would have reversed a mandate from Obamacare forcing employers to provide free healthcare to employees, whether or not they may have a moral or religious objection to birth control practices. The injunction will persist until the policy is challenged in court by the attorneys general in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Pennsylvania’s attorney general, Josh Shapiro, called the ruling a “victory for the health and economic independence of women.”

Judge Beetlestone expressed that her ruling was a victory for states, who should be concerned that if employers are not forced to provide birth control, then the financial burden will fall on the states themselves to provide it. (RELATED: Trump Looks To Deal With Dems After Judge Strikes Down Obamacare)

ABC News reported:

“U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia agreed with a lawsuit originally filed by Pennsylvania, citing the potential harm to states should the rules be enforced.

Numerous citizens could lose contraceptive coverage, Beetlestone wrote, resulting in the increased use of state-funded contraceptive services, as well as increased costs to state services from unintended pregnancies.”

 

Planned Parenthood reacted to the news on Twitter, calling the ruling “a WIN for the 62 million women who gained access to affordable birth control through the ACA.”

Planned Parenthood went on to claim that “People should have birth control coverage, regardless of whether their boss disagrees with it.” (RELATED: Natelson: Pundits Have It Wrong- Latest Obamacare Ruling Makes Complete Sense)