Healthcare

In DeOtte v. Azar, a federal district court case in Texas this past summer, a federal court issued a new permanent national injunction robustly protecting employers and individuals across the country who object to paying for contraceptive health insurance coverage in their health insurance plans. It is understandable why one may have thought that the issue of protecting nonprofit employers who have religious objections to contraceptive coverage was resolved long ago.

The challenge, and the opportunity, for every Catholic nonprofit is to make Jesus Christ the center of every decision. For Catholic nonprofits with employees, this challenge is uniquely present in the context of choosing employer-sponsored healthcare options and benefits. An executive of a large Catholic nonprofit once said she believed her organization needed to have a ‘Catholic worldview’ in deciding the healthcare options to offer its employees. She is correct - Catholic nonprofits have an obligation to discern God’s will in determining whether they can afford to financially contribute to their employees’ healthcare needs and, if so, in determining what kind of healthcare plan would best serve their mission. Catholic nonprofits should also understand their employer healthcare obligations, if any, under federal and state law.