Supreme Court to Hear Arguments March 25 on Birth Control Coverage

On March 25 the Supreme Court will hear arguments in two lawsuits that challenge whether for-profit employers must provide health insurance that covers birth control. The lawsuits involve a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires insurance plans to cover preventive health services, including contraceptives. A number of companies challenged the law, arguing that it is a violation of their owners’ religious beliefs to provide coverage of certain forms of birth control.

The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in these two cases, arguing that the government has an interest in providing women with access to oral contraceptives, as they have been proven to reduce women’s risk of developing ovarian cancer by as much as 50 percent.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on these cases in June.

We hosted an online chat about ovarian cancer and oral contraceptives on March 18. The chat featured legal and medical experts who answered questions from our community about this topic and the lawsuits appearing before the Supreme Court. View a transcript of the chat below.