Which is, of course, why it's getting such dramatic play on the Right, as part of some mythical "War on Religion."
So, just to set things straight:
First and foremost, under the regulation, churches and religious institutions that employ primarily people of a single religion are exempt from this requirement. Your local Catholic Church won't have to pay for their secretary's hypothetical contraception prescription.
On the other hand, religiously-affiliated or owned companies and institutions that employ people of a variety of faiths (i.e., that are subject to laws that forbid religious discrimination in hiring) are not exempt. While some folks are claiming this is religious bias itself, it's actually the opposite … because it means that the employer's religious beliefs aren't imposed upon their employees.
To me, this is incredibly important. If I'm a Lutheran, or an Episcopalian, or a Jew, or a Muslim, or not anything in particular, why should my employer get to decide, based on their religion, what my insurance should cover?
(We'll leave aside the question of how many US Catholics — surveys indicate the vast majority — actually use contraception. The objections here are not coming so much from rank and file as from church leaders and the pundits who love them.)
If I am working at a Catholic University, I can't be required to be a Catholic as part of my hiring, and I can't be required to attend Mass. My employer cannot dictate, regardless of their institutional faith, my conscience. Why should they get to dictate, based on their institutional faith, what my insurance covers? Why is that not considered a war on my religion? #ddtb
Embedded Link
Kathleen Sebelius: Contraception rule respects religion
The secretary of Health and Human Services writes that the exemption balances beliefs and women's access to preventive health services.