Supreme Court Extends Temporary Block on Contraceptive Rule for Faith Group

The Supreme Court has extended an injunction granted late last year that temporarily blocks the Obama administration from enforcing the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate on a Roman Catholic charity, The New York Times and CNN report.

The justices said Friday’s order, which extends the stay granted to Little Sisters of the Poor on December 31 by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, should not be construed as a reflecting their views on the merits of the case. Still, it represents a setback for the White House, which had asked the court to allow immediate enforcement of the birth-control rule while the charity’s case was being adjudicated.

The Little Sisters, an order of nuns that operates homes for the elderly in several cities, contends the requirement to ensure employees have access to insurance coverage for contraception violates their religious beliefs, even given the administration’s compromise plan by which nonprofit faith groups can opt out of paying for such coverage by certifying a third-party insurer to provide it.

Friday’s order applies specifically to Little Sisters and its insurance provider, Christian Brothers Services, but it will likely keep the government from enforcing the mandate on other groups that have raised similar objections. Christian Brothers, itself a nonprofit, provides health coverage for a number of faith organizations.