(October 9, 2014 ??? Washington, DC) Life Legal Defense Foundation filed a formal complaint, along with Alliance Defending Freedom, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services against the California Department of Managed Health Care. The two national not-for-profit law organizations joined to represent seven California churches that are being forced to provide insurance coverage for elective abortions, in violation of federal law.
Skyline Church in La Mesa, Foothill Church and Foothill Christian School in Glendora, Alpine Christian Fellowship in El Cajon, The Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch, City View Church in San Diego, Faith Baptist Church in Santa Barbara, and Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino, object to offering their employees insurance plans that include abortion coverage. The complaint filed on behalf of these churches echoes a separate complaint filed last month on behalf of employees at Loyola Marymount University, also represented by Life Legal Defense Foundation and Alliance Defending Freedom.
???California???s Department of Managed Health Care created this abortion mandate in response to political pressure from the abortion lobby,??? said Life Legal Defense Foundation Legal Director Catherine Short. ???They would have us believe that, while the Legislature exempted these churches from the state???s contraceptive coverage mandate, it nonetheless intended to force them to cover all abortions under the rubric of ???basic health care,?????? she explained. Short deemed this move a ???a pure power play,??? adding, ???we trust that the Department of Health and Human Services will take the necessary steps to bring the State of California into compliance with federal law.???
Read the complaint filed by Life Legal Defense Foundation and Alliance Defending Freedom here.
Life Legal Defense Foundation provides additional information on the issue here.
