Sebelius didn’t consult with bishops on birth-control revision

The Obama administration’s top health official said she did not consult with religious leaders about the White House's revision of its mandate on insurance coverage for birth control.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she did not discuss the new policy with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Sebelius told Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that President Obama had spoken with the bishops on several occasions but wasn’t sure whether he consulted with them about the new contraception policy.

The bishops say Obama’s “accommodations” for religious employers did not go far enough, but other Catholic organizations support the changes. Under the new policy, institutions like Catholic universities do not have to cover contraception in their employees’ healthcare plans, but women who work for those organizations can obtain birth control from their insurance companies without a co-pay.

Sebelius, testifying at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the HHS budget, said she did also wasn’t sure about conversations between administration officials and supporters of the contraception policy.

Hatch asked specifically about contact with the Obama campaign, Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America. Sebelius said she would “assume some of those groups were talked to” but did not know who talked to whom.

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