Judge Rules Two Texas Baptist Colleges Exempt from Contraception Mandate

Don't have to provide coverage to employees

Two Baptist schools in Texas need not cover the contraceptive needs of their employees as required by the health care reform law, a federal judge ruled.

East Texas Baptist University and Houston Baptist University were two of many religious organizations that balked at a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that requires employers to include contraceptive services in group health plans they provide to workers.

In addition to exempting churches and other religious employers from the mandate, the Obama administration provided an accommodation for nonprofit religious organizations.

The accommodation, which does not extend to emergency contraception, keeps nonprofits from having to directly provide coverage or pay for any contraception that they deem offensive to their faith.