Update, Nov. 26, 12:09p.m.: The Supreme Court has decided to review two cases, including Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius.
The legal battle over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provision commonly called the "contraception mandate" may be headed for the Supreme Court.
The law requires employer-sponsored health plans to cover Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives and related services. Approximately 40 for-profit companies have filed suits in lower courts challenging the provision, according to Politico, claiming the mandate is a violation of religious freedom. The lower courts have been split on the issue — three appeals courts have struck down the mandate, and two have upheld it.
The circuit split and amplifying pressure for a decision from both sides mean the Court will likely decide to hear Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius, in which the owners of a 500-store retail chain argue that some of the contraceptive services they would have to cover for their employees prevent not just fertilization but implantation, which they equate with abortion, according to a CNN report.
The justices are holding a closed-door meeting today to decide whether or not to review Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius, and if the case is taken up, a decision would be expected next spring or summer, according to Politico.
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