President Barack Obama-Abrupt Policy Shift-Free Birth Control

Obama shift seeks to defuse birth-control fight

President Barack Obama talks about providing states flexibility under reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act in the East Room of the White House in Washington

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama, in an abrupt policy shift aimed at quelling an election-year firestorm, announced on Friday that religious employers would not be required to offer free birth control to workers and the onus would instead be put on insurers. But Catholic Church leaders and Obama's Republican opponents, who had railed against the Democratic president's new rule on contraceptives as a violation of religious freedom, signaled that divisions remain over the hot-button social issue. ... read more..

source:yahoo.com

President Barack Obama-Free Birth Control-Religious Groups-Health Insurers

Insurers stuck with cost of Obama birth-control plan

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama's compromise on free birth control coverage left health insurers stuck with the bill, sparking worries over the precedent set by the new policy. Obama on Friday made insurers responsible for providing free birth control to employees of religious groups, aiming to placate outraged leaders of the Catholic church who oppose contraception and to defuse an election-year landmine. Free birth control is mandated under Obama's 2010 healthcare law. ... read more..

source:yahoo.com

Conference Of Catholic Bishops-President Barack Obama-U.S. Catholic Bishops-U.S. Catholic Church

U.S. Catholic bishops oppose Obama birth-control plan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Catholic Church leaders said they will fight President Barack Obama's controversial birth-control insurance coverage policy despite his compromise that religious employers would not have to offer free contraceptives for workers, shifting the responsibility to insurers. In an abrupt policy shift aimed at trying to end a growing election-year firestorm, Obama on Friday announced the compromise. But the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said its concerns were not addressed and cited "serious moral concerns. ... read more..

source:yahoo.com