On Thursday, a federal district court in Philadelphia struck down the 2018 religious exemptions to the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraception mandate. During the ruling, the judge called the exemptions “arbitrary and capricious.”
Fourteen years ago, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) enacted the ACA contraception mandate. It allowed exemptions for religious or moral employers, which the Trump administration expanded in 2018.
However, on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone noted a mismatch between the exemption’s vast scope and the small number of affected employers. She criticized publicly traded companies and the Hobby Lobby precedent.
The court vacated the exemptions in their entirety, potentially forcing groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor into compliance or face fines. However, the groups announced they will appeal in the coming weeks.
The Biden administration proposed new rules in 2023 to preserve some religious exemptions with an “individual contraceptive arrangement.” However, the administration withdrew that proposal weeks before Biden left office. Critics warn that allowing district courts to override Supreme Court precedent could spur endless legal challenges.
