A leaked order indicates that the Trump administration is planning to allow businesses to refuse to cover birth control in health care plans if the employer has a religious or moral objection to it.
Under the Trump plan, there is no provision for women who lose access to contraceptives. They’re out of luck. Rather than provide for them, Trump and his Religious Right allies are attacking Planned Parenthood, an organization that assists women who need help paying for birth control.
Medical professionals know that birth control is an important part of comprehensive health care, and that’s why the Affordable Care Act mandates that it be included in health plans at no cost.
When the Supreme Court ruled that companies like Hobby Lobby did not have to include contraceptive access if they had a religious objection to it, the Obama administration worked to find another way to ensure access.
Trump is apparently abandoning that effort. His supporters will likely argue that the new policy protects “religious freedom.” It does nothing of the kind. Rather, it’s a cruel approach that forces women to bow to the dictates of their bosses’ religion.
Religious freedom is an important principle, but it gives you no right to make medical decisions for others.
