Sunday, July 6, 2014

COURT DENIES ARCHDIOCESE’S REQUEST FOR RELIEF FROM HHS MANDATE


BY MATTHEW GAMBINO 
UPDATE – The Archdiocese of Philadelphia lost its bid to block regulations of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) June 26, but a new ruling will prevent the church from paying fines of $160,000 a day for noncompliance.
Judge Ronald Buckwalter of the United States Eastern District Court refused to grant the injunction that the archdiocese and its Catholic Charities agencies had sought earlier this month against the so-called HHS mandate, a set of regulations by the Department of Health and Human Services that would force some religious employers to provide employees with access to contraceptives, abortifacients and other services that violate Catholic beliefs.
The archdiocese immediately appealed the decision on Thursday, and by Friday afternoon the Third Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of Buckwalter’s ruling, meaning the penalties for not complying with the regulations would not be assessed beginning July 1 as expected.

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