Interim final regulations released on August 3, 2011 by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Labor (DOL) give the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) the discretion to exempt religious employers that offer insurance to their employees from the requirement to cover contraception. These regulations amended the previous interim final regulations addressing coverage of preventive services by new insurance plans. The Interim Final Rule sets forth a definition of “religious employer” based on the most commonly used definition in those states that exempt religious employers from state law requirements to cover contraception. HHS is accepting comments on this definition.
To read the Interim Final Rule, please go to: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-08-03/pdf/2011-19684.pdf.