Judge blocks Mo. insurance law on birth control
Prescription contraceptives for women sit on the counter of a drug store on August 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. Under new standards issued by the Obama administration, health insurers are required to cover all government-approved …
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Posted: 12/22/2012
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By: Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A federal judge has blocked a new Missouri law requiring insurers to offer policies excluding birth control coverage because it conflicts with a federal law mandating such coverage.
Judge Audry Fleissig issued a temporary restraining order Friday against the Missouri law. It was enacted in September when the Republican-led Legislature overrode a veto of Democratic Governor Jay Nixon.
Missouri's law requires insurers to issue policies without contraception coverage if it runs contrary to the religious or moral beliefs of an individual or employer. The law appeared to be the first in the nation to directly rebut an Obama administration policy requiring insurers to cover birth control at no additional cost to women.
The judge said there "appears to be an irreconcilable conflict" between the state and federal laws.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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