Bishop Wants Health Law Changes
Monday, December 5, 2011
By: Sammy Mack

Dec. 5, 2011 | WMFE - A Roman Catholic bishop from Florida's west coast wants to see changes in the federal government's new health care law. Bishop Robert Lynch of the Archdiocese of St. Petersburg says he's against a requirement to cover contraception.

The health insurance requirement does come with a proposed religious exemption. But the exemptions aren't enough for Lynch.
He objects to the contraception requirement in the law. He discussed his opinion during a special mass for lawyers and judges in Tampa.

Bishop Lynch said he was concerned that the proposed religious exemption was too narrow. The proposed exemption applies to religious non-profits that employ people of the same faith.

Religiously-affiliated organizations like hospitals and universities would not qualify under the exemption guidelines.

Those institutions would be required to offer health plans that cover contraception as part of a package of women’s health services.

Critics of widening the exemption say it would give hospitals unprecedented ability to limit patient care.

Lynch said if the rules don’t change, the archdiocese may be forced to drop health insurance coverage for its 2300 employees and pay them more to buy their own insurance.