Birmingham Business Journal: Hobby Lobby decision a political win, but unlikely to impact many employers
The 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court to allow companies to deny coverage of the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate is a win for opponents of the ACA, but one expert says the decision will have likely little bearing on the health care policies of most companies.
"The decision is a victory for opponents of the ACA. However, the victory is more symbolic than practical for two reasons," said Logan Hinkle, an attorney at Burr & Forman LLP. "First, the holding is limited to closely held businesses. Second, most companies already cover contraception for non-religious reasons. It's unlikely many employers are going to change their policies based on this decision."
According to Forbes, nearly 90 percent of national companies have covered contraceptives before the ACA came into effect. The ruling is unlikely to change that for most companies.
But there are some local employers who are particularly interested in the Hobby Lobby decision.