The Supreme Court agreed Friday to hear arguments for a challenge to Obamacare—the fourth in five years—from seven faith-based organizations. In March, these non-profits will demand the complete freedom of universities, hospitals and charities to opt out from providing contraception coverage to their employees.
Last year, the Court ruled that private companies could invoke religious reasons for not covering the baseline cost of contraception. In order to do so, they simply need to fill out a form to hand off this cost to their insurance providers, according to USA Today. However, the groups argue that filling out these forms constitutes a sin in itself, according to The Washington Post. They don't want anything to do with contraception and, above all, abortion.
These hearings, if successful, would amount to yet another impediment to women's freedom of choice. USA Today reports that "99% of sexually active women ages 15 to 44 have used at least one type of birth control." Many of these women could not afford contraception without Obamacare. In a country where unwanted pregnancies are common and where sex education is sorely lacking, it goes without saying that women should be granted full control over their own bodies and over their own lives. Whether a woman elects to use contraceptives or not is only her decision to make.
