Friday, February 10, 2012

The White House is already hearing some positive reaction from both sides of the debate, as President Barack Obama prepares to announce a change in the administration's controversial requirement that religious employers cover birth control for their employees.

According to administration officials, those employers won't have to cover birth control after all. Instead, the administration will demand that insurance companies be the ones directly responsible for providing free contraception.

The president of the Catholic Health Association, a trade group representing Catholic hospitals, says the organization is pleased with the revised rule. Sister Carol Keehan says it "responded to the issues we identified that needed to be fixed."

Planned Parenthood also backed the changes, saying the administration is still committed to making sure all women have
access to birth control coverage, no matter where they work.

The White House consulted leaders on both sides to forge a decision.

Officials say Obama has the legal authority to make insurance companies provide free contraception coverage directly to workers.