White House: Companies Must Disclose Changes In Contraception Coverage

The White House on Thursday told closely held corporations that they must specifically describe in their insurance plans which forms of contraception are covered, the Huffington Post reported.

According to an update on the Department of Labor’s website, if a company opts out of providing certain forms of contraception, it has 60 days to notify employees of the change in coverage.

A senior administration official said that the new disclosure requirements were a response to the Senate’s failure to pass a bill that would have overturned the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision, according to the Huffington Post.

“[W]e are making clear that if a corporation like Hobby Lobby drops coverage of contraceptive services from its health plan, it must do so in the light of day by letting its workers and their families know,” the official said.

New York officials proposed a similar measure on Thursday. The state attorney general and Senate Democratic Conference leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins proposed legislation that would require employers to give 90 days notice before changing contraception coverage.