<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-253732p1.html">Barbara J. Johnson</a>/Shutterstock
The Supreme Court announced today it will hear more appeals from religious groups that seek exemption from the Affordable Care Act’s contraception requirements, marking the fourth challenge to President Obama’s health care law that has made it to the nation’s highest court.
The court has decided to review seven appeals total from religious nonprofits challenging the requirement for contraception coverage— but instead of addressing each case separately, the court has decided to consolidate them. The plaintiffs range from a nursing home chain, Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged, to religious universities.
This appeal is different from the Hobby Lobby v. Burwell case, which provided protection for a for-profit company under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Nonprofits with religious affiliations were not addressed in the ruling, which was a 5-4 decision by the court.
The ACA requires employers with at least 50 full-time employees to provide insurance plans with “minimum essential coverage,” including access to contraception for women that does not require them to pay copayments or deductibles.
The case will likely be decided by June.
