Birth Control and The New Affordable Care Act

            Should a boss’s personal religious views be allowed to get in the way of a woman’s right to access birth control through the Affordable Care Act? In an editorial article titled, “Birth Control and a Boss’s Religious Views” in the New York Times, The Editorial Board, doesn’t seem to think so and neither do I. The article attempts to raise awareness among newspaper reading Americans and strives to take a look at the current struggles that we are facing with the new Act. It also attempts to grab the attention of those readers who would need to have access to birth control through the insurance they will be receiving from their employers through the Affordable Care Act.

            According to the Affordable Care Act, employers with more than 50 workers must provide access to contraceptives through their insurance plans or risk being fined $100 per day for each employee. The act excludes houses of worship, hospitals, Universities, and charities. Since this act has been passed, there have been three cases that have been brought to the federal appeals courts. Each one has been attempting to prevent their businesses from having to provide their employees access to birth control products through the new Act. They claim that it goes against the personal religious beliefs of the owners of the establishment, and violates their religious freedom. Such as, Hobby Lobby who has threatened to shut down all stores if they’re forced to provide contraceptives to their employees. Another business that is owned by Mennonites, Conestoga Wood Specialties Corporation, has attempted to say that the new Act violates the First Amendment’s free exercise clause and a federal law, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

            I think that The Editorial Board did a great job providing facts about what the Affordable Care Act is and what it pertains to, they also provided examples of groups who are actively opposing the new Act. I would have liked to have seen more of an argument to support their opposition though.  I will admit that I didn’t know much about this topic before reading this article, and I would have to say after being educated on the subject a little more, that I don’t want my employer, or owner of the establishment where I work, to have any personal sway over whether or not I can have access to birth control. I think that for any one company to think that they have the right to dictate whether or not their employees should be allowed access to birth control through this new Act because they have differing views on the use of contraceptives, should know that that it is a terribly self-centered thing to think that you should have any say over what their employees do in their free time. It's not your body, so you don't have to use it. Being smart about pregnancy prevention is one of the most important things to teach our youth today. Make no mistake, I firmly believe that nobody should be allowed to dictate what I can have access to through the new Act, including birth control.