Last week saw the unsuccessful attempt to pass a reversal of the Supreme Court’s ruling that stated it was in fact constitutional for businesses to refuse certain kinds of birth control to its employees based on the religion of the owners. However, some Democrats are still pushing forward with a new bill to help employees understand their insurance.
The Not My Boss’ Business Act had the backing of over 40 democrats and 3 republicans, including Senator Lisa Murkowski. That bill, however, was defeated after a vote of 56-43. The bill was a total reversal of the Hobby Lobby case. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a democrat from Nevada, voted against the bill because he wants to bring it to the Senate later this year.
US Senator Mark Begich was one of the democrats sponsoring the Not My Boss’ Business Act. Now that it’s been shot down, Begich joined US Senator Richard Durbin, a democrat from Illinois, to introduce the Preventive Care Coverage Notification Act.
“This is one that’s very simple it says ‘look, if you’re going to be hired by an employer they need to tell you what the health care plan is and specifically around birth control and preventive services that will be provided and if at any time during your employment there’s a change that occurs then the employer must inform the employee.’ It’s not complicated, it’s kind of an employee right to know law in the sense of making sure they know the health care that they’re getting and that the employer has to be very direct in what the services they are paying for and the insurance company is providing.”
The new bill will call on the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury to create guidelines and requirements to ensure that employers notify their current and prospective employees if the company’s health coverage excludes certain preventative services, including contraceptives.
The Prevention Care Coverage Notification Act is currently not supported by any republicans. However, Begich says he is hopeful that this bill will be passed because it’s not about party politics-- it’s about women’s health.
“We think these are reasonable and they are the right piece of legislation that Alaskans care about. I can tell you last few days traveling around the state this issue is on everyone’s mind about how the court is interfering now with what insurance companies are offer that are no cost programs that are preventative care and the economic harm that’s going to do to women in this state. People are not happy.”
The bill was introduced at the end of last week and has not received an official date to approach a Senate vote.