EWTN Catholic TV network will continue to fight Obamacare birth control mandate despite rule change

[Redfairen]

Today's proposed government rule change aimed at addressing faith-based group concerns over a mandate to provide contraceptive care, does not go far enough, said the head of EWTN, the worldwide Catholic TV network based in Irondale.

EWTN is among a number of non-profit groups, schools and businesses who have sued the federal government on religious liberty grounds to block the requirement that it provide mandatory contraception coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare.

.......

EWTN is a self-insurer and said its review of the rule change found the measure doesn't address its concerns. EWTN CEO Michael Warsaw said they plan to continue pursue its lawsuit.

"We have analyzed today's notice with our legal team from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and the initial conclusions are not promising ... while the proposed rules might expand the mandate's religious exemption for some organizations affiliated directly with the Church, it does not appear that EWTN will qualify for this exemption," Warsaw said, ... the proposed rules have not dealt with the concerns of self-insured health plans like EWTN's. Today's notice from the government simply kicks this can further down the road. "Sadly, throughout this proposed rule, the government continues to make the erroneous assertion that contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs are health care. They are not."


http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/02/post_1052.html#incart_more_business

[AngryOldDem]

1. Let 'em.

The really funny thing is that they're always bitching about how poor they are, so please send money. But apparently they have bottomless pockets to pursue this nonsense.

Nothing short of returning to the Middle Ages will be enough for EWTN and their ilk.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. Is anyone on that channel young enough to bear children?

Anytime I've mistakenly stopped on that channel they all looked at least 80 or older.

[PennsylvaniaMatt]

7. LOL! So true!

[Lint Head]

3. Guess thay want to keep that alter boy population as high as possible.

[BarackTheVote]

4. EWTN is a right wing schill. n/t

[madrchsod]

5. is`t it time to pull their tax exemption?

[nobodyspecial]

6. They want to make the choice for all women

even if they aren't Catholic. What about any woman's religious freedoms? Doesn't she count?

[PennsylvaniaMatt]

8. As a Catholic, I only wish that EWTN and other Catholic groups were as outspoken for gun control...

...as they are against contraception. That is what it REALLY means to be "pro-life".

As far as the mandate is concerned, I am a prospective lawyer, and even though I have not read through all the documents, I just DO NOT see where they think they will not be within the realm of the exception put out by HHS today. From what I read, it was pretty cut and dry. Catholic non-profits and catholic groups who self-insure will not have to follow the guidelines of the mandate. They are arguing that since they are not affiliated by the Catholic church, they do not qualify, however it seemed from my interpretation that this would apply to "faith based organizations," something that EWTN clearly is.