Nov 8, 2018 - Health

HHS finalizes new contraception rules

Sam Baker

Planned Parenthood clinic in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Scott Olson via Getty Images

Another significant change in HHS' program integrity rule: The department wants insurers to send consumers separate bills for medical coverage and whatever coverage they might provide for abortion.

How it works: Federal law says federal funding — including premium subsidies under the ACA — can't be used to cover abortion, and requires insurers to segregate the money they use to provide coverage for abortion services.

That segregation will need to include a whole separate billing process if this proposed rule is finalized.
HHS said insurers should "send an entirely separate monthly bill to the consumer for only the portion of premium attributable to abortion coverage" — which, according to earlier policy outlines, could be as low as $1.

On a similar note, HHS also finalized rules yesterday making it easier for employers to opt out of the ACA's contraception mandate if they have religious — or, in some cases, moral — objections to birth control.

Small businesses, schools, insurance companies and individuals can claim either a religious or moral exemption.
Large, for-profit employers do not appear to be able to claim the moral exemption, but non-profits and small businesses can.

The other side: ACA legal expert Nicholas Bagley has argued that the exemption for moral objections is illegal.

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HHS finalizes new contraception rules

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