New birth control plan for faith groups
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration Friday proposed a compromise for faith-based nonprofits that object to covering birth control in their employee health plans.Religious groups filed lawsuits over the proposed regulation, which requires most employers to cover birth control free of charge to female workers as a preventive service. The law exempted houses of worship, but religious charities, colleges, hospitals and even some for-profit businesses have objected.
The government's new offer has two parts.
Administration officials said it would more simply define the religious organizations that are exempt from the requirement altogether. For example, a mosque whose food pantry serves the whole community would not have to comply. For other religious employers, the proposal attempts to create a buffer between them and contraception coverage. Female employees would still have free access through insurers or a third party, but the employer would not have to arrange or pay for coverage. Insurers would be reimbursed by a credit against fees owed the government.
It wasn't clear whether the plan would satisfy the objections of Catholic and other faith-affiliated nonprofits. The Catholic Health Association, a trade group for hospitals, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said the regulations were still being studied.
"The Diocese of Rockville Centre and its affiliated organizations await the opportunity for a full analysis of any changes to the existing mandate," spokesman Sean Dolan said. Bishop William Murphy has spoken out against the earlier proposed regulation.
The National Association of Evangelicals, which represents about 40 denominations, said the new version didn't create enough of a buffer between faith groups and birth control coverage. "The Obama administration should have done the right thing and dropped the contraception mandate, or at least should have exempted all religious organizations," said Leith Anderson, the group's president.
Some women's advocates praised the proposal. "Women employees can count on getting insurance that meets their needs, " said Cindy Pearson, executive director of the National Women's Health Network.
President Obama should see that Nassau OTB is open 365 days of the year so that anyone that wishes to bet may bet before ALL the OTBs go bankrupt like NYC OTB did.
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> Stop scratching on holidays
Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012
Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.
New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.
“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”
Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.
“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”
OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.
One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.
Easy money.
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