Washington D.C., May 4, 2016 / 15:51 pm
The Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) has asked a federal court to reconsider its ruling forcing the company to comply with the revised HHS mandate, based on an admission by the federal government in its brief before the Supreme Court.
"The government admitted what we have said from the beginning," said Michael Warsaw, CEO of EWTN. "Once you get past the bureaucratic smokescreen, this really comes down to one issue: the government wants to hijack our health plan. EWTN cannot let them do it."
EWTN, the world's largest religious media network, is one of hundreds of non-profits and charities suing the federal government over its mandate – and the revisions it made to the mandate – that requires employers to offer health plans including contraceptives, sterilizations, and drugs that can cause early abortions.
The government's revision to the mandate was what it called an "accommodation" for non-profits who religiously objected to providing the coverage. The parties would send a notice of their objection to the government, who would then notify their insurer of the objection. The insurer would provide the contraception coverage separately.