the bus stop.

In a conference call that started at 9:45 a.m Friday morning, White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett briefed a large number of women’s health groups about the administration’s proposed changes to the so-called contraception rule. Under the new language, Jarrett, said, religious institutions would still be required to cover contraception as part of any health care plan they offer to their employees. But they also will be offered a veritable opt-out clause. If they determine that the requirement violates their religious sensibilities, the burden would then fall on the insurance company to cover the cost. That insurance company would be required to inform the recipient of their benefits package in addition to paying for the contraception. This, explained Jarrett, effectively removes religious institutions from any role in the process (it’s the White House’s hope that this mutes the criticism). Insurers will be fine picking up the slack, she added, because the cost saved in covering contraception outweighs the expenses made in covering procedures that result from not having contraception available.

- Obama Birth Control Compromise In Works