Trump Administration Guts Obamacare Birth Control Rule

The Trump administration officially issued a new rule Friday that weakens the Affordable Care Act's mandate requiring employers to provide free birth control as part of health insurance plans. The final rule resembles a draft that was leaked back in May. It vastly expands the types of employers that can opt out of birth control coverage and eliminates some of the hoops those employers have had to jump through to do so. "With this rule in place, any employer could decide that their employees no longer have health insurance coverage for birth control," Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in an emailed statement. "The Trump administration just took direct aim at birth control coverage for 62 million women." Under the Obamacare provision, some employers with religious affiliations could opt out of the birth control mandate, citing their religious beliefs.