ACP Objects to U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Allowing Employers to Decline to Cover Contraceptive Methods

Statement attributable to:
Jacqueline W. Fincher, MD, MACP
President, American College of Physicians

Washington, DC (July 8, 2020) — The American College of Physicians (ACP) strongly objects to today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that supports the Trump administration rule that allow employers to decline to cover medically accepted contraception as part of the health insurance plan they provide to their employees. The rule drastically broadens the types of employers who can seek an exemption to requirements to cover contraception. And, it will harm access to health care for every woman employed by a company who decides to limit their coverage.

ACP strongly objects to the administration’s rule on several fronts. It interferes with patient autonomy in an individual health matter, by not covering medically accepted forms of contraception. ACP opposes any legislation or regulation that limits access to comprehensive reproductive health care by putting medically unnecessary restrictions on health care professionals or facilities. ACP also strongly believes that all patients should have access to evidence-based preventive health care services. The Affordable Care Act designated that contraception be covered as a preventive service without any patient cost-sharing because it’s just good medicine.

While today’s ruling is a disappointment, the issue is not over and neither is our advocacy on the topic. ACP will continue to advocate on behalf of all of our patients in the interest of ensuring their access to necessary health care services.

More details on ACP’s positions can be found in: “Women’s Health Policy in the United States”.

Contact: Jacquelyn Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org


About the American College of Physicians

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 159,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.