Atlanta Appeals Courts Backs Obamacare Contraceptive Rule

A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled in favor of the Obama administration Thursday in another court test of the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate, the Associated Press reports.

Nonprofits affiliated with the Catholic Church in Georgia are among the plaintiffs claiming the requirement that employee health plans include birth-control coverage violates their religious freedom, even with a provision that allows faith groups to opt out if they state an objection. The 11th Circuit delayed implementation of the decision until the Supreme Court, which is set to hear similar cases this term, weighs in.