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Monday, October 14, 2013

California Catholic University Eliminates Abortion Coverage, Faculty Cry Foul


by Susan Michelle Tyrell

While abortion is expanding in California, it seems that Catholics are taking their stand. Perched in the middle of the ObamaCare controversy over abortion, employer mandates, and conscience rights are Catholic-affiliated institutions. Santa Clara University (SCU) is the center of focus, as the university announced that it would drop elective abortion coverage from employee health plans. While some argue that this is a natural move for a Catholic-affiliated institution, many others are crying foul in the state that recently expanded abortion.

The San Jose Mercury News reports on the action:
University President Michael Engh, a Jesuit priest, said in a two-page letter dated last Thursday and sent to 1,600 employees that the university carefully studied how the school can structure its medical insurance plans in 2014 to be compliant with federal and California laws and regulations while representing its values as a Jesuit university. The university concluded that ‘our core commitments as a Catholic university are incompatible with the inclusion of elective abortion coverage in the University’s health plans,’ he stated in the letter.
Coming on the heels of fellow California Catholic university Loyola Marymount, which made a similar decision to drop abortion coverage but offer a separate policy for those who wanted it (SCU is not offering such an option), SCU’s decision has many faculty members in an uproar to the effect that the school’s decision is a violation of the shared governance principles of the university.

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