Georgetown health insurance to provide coverage for contraception

Georgetown University announced on Thursday that their health insurance will now provide coverage for contraception to faculty, staff and students in order to comply with new regulations under President Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

“[T]he University’s insurance companies will cover the costs of contraceptive services for Georgetown faculty, staff and students who opt to use them, regardless of which health care plan each person has,” University President John J. DeGioia wrote in a campus-wide email announcing the change in policy.

“We will continue to provide our community with access to affordable health care options, and women will have access to contraceptives at no cost to them or the university,” he added.

Catholic doctrine holds that the use of contraception is a mortal sin and discourages the use of condoms.

According to DeGioia, regulations stemming from the Affordable Care Act force employers to provide contraception coverage.

“The regulations will require insurance companies themselves to pay directly for contraceptive services for employees and students of non-profit organizations, like Georgetown, that oppose providing coverage for contraceptive services on religious grounds,” he wrote in the email.

However, DeGioia adds the Obama administration did make an “accommodation” for religious institutions like Georgetown.

“Under the accommodation, a third party – the insurance company of an insured plan or third party administrator of a self-insured plan – will pay for contraceptive services for the employees and students of ‘eligible organization,” reads a document released by Georgetown explaining the move.

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