Contraception Commandment Cons

SUSANNA AIGA
Staff Writer

Does the contraception mandate ultimately help or hurt businesses? The Supreme Court’s decision to declare ObamaCare constitutional worried many, and some have even found it an intrusion on their beliefs, as is the case with Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza. The new mandated healthcare plan covers contraception and some business owners do not believe that birth control is something that they should have to provide their employees with. Although suing the federal government is a little absurd, the option to supply workers with birth control should remain a business owner’s decision.
Employers are not responsible for their employees’ personal lives, and it is only right that the employers decide whether or not to aid their workers in affairs outside of work. Some executives do not find it necessary to help workers with birth control, as it does not affect their company in the long run. Others want to keep their employees in good health and are fine with paying for contraception. Either way, it would be fair if the decision to provide contraception be left in the company’s hands.
There are many people who do think that birth control should be supplied for women, as it may prevent health issues like ovarian cysts, in addition to preventing pregnancies. I understand these concerns, but there are already 26 states which require insurers and employers to cover the Food and Drug Administration-approved contraception, California being one of them. However, 21 out of the 26 states also allow for exemptions from this coverage, mainly for religious reasons. This is fairer than the ObamaCare mandate, and seeing as there are state laws already in place for birth control insurance, it is not really necessary for the federal government to have an additional plan for contraception.
Also, as businesses struggle economically, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to provide for their workers. Taxes on the healthcare industry—which help pay for the new benefits in the health law, such as birth control—simultaneously increase the costs of insurance. It seems unfair to pile the spiraling costs on top of the towering debt and other financial problems that plague many businesses. Most employers want to provide their workers with health care, but if the situation intensifies, the expenses may backfire on employees. More companies might start trying to find loopholes in the law, such as firing more full-time workers in order to get under the 50-employee threshold, where businesses with more than 50 full-time employees will have to supply workers with affordable insurance or be fined, and employ more part-time workers instead.
Although Monaghan’s lawsuit may seem extreme, his actions draw attention towards the mounting pressure on the private sector in general. In the end, contraception is just one more thing for CEOs to worry about.