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Michigan Lawmakers Look to ‘Deal With The Aftermath’ of the ‘Hobby Lobby’ Decision

Michigan legislators introduced a bill Wednesday that would require employers to notify all current and prospective employees about whether the company’s insurance plan covers contraceptives.

The Reproductive Health Coverage Information Act is designed to “deal with the aftermath” of the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision. DerekTGreen/flickr

Michigan legislators introduced a bill Wednesday that would require employers to notify all current and prospective employees about whether the company’s insurance plan covers contraceptives.

SB 1044, called the Reproductive Health Coverage Information Act, would require notification of contraceptive coverage to all prospective employees in writing before an offer letter is given, and in any job posting. If the employer is a corporation, the bill requires that the scope of reproductive health coverage offered detailed on the corporation’s website.

If the new legislation were to pass, employers would have to give 90 days written notice to employees when changing the reproductive health coverage.

The Reproductive Health Coverage Information Act is designed to “deal with the aftermath” of the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision, according to a statement on the website of state Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, a sponsor of the bill.

The Supreme Court ruling in June said the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that employee health insurance plans include contraceptive coverage infringes on some employers’ religious rights.

The White House in July sent a message to corporations affected by the ruling, reminding them that they must notify employees of changes to health insurance plans 60 days prior to the change.

Some states have introduced similar legislation in response to Hobby Lobby. In New York, for example, Democratic legislators introduced a bill requiring 90 days notification prior to a change to employee contraceptive coverage, as well as notification of prospective employees on the scope of reproductive coverage.

“Women’s choices about their reproductive health care are both medical and financial, and they should be given a reasonable amount of time to make them,” Whitmer said on her website. “Women in all walks of life come to work every day to do their jobs, serve their employers and provide for their families, and in return, we are simply asking for reasonable notice of any alterations to their employee health care coverage.”