Catholic college drops health plan over contraception mandate
A small Catholic college in Ohio said Tuesday it was dropping health insurance coverage for students rather than comply with a federal mandate that the plan provide free birth control.
The Franciscan University of Steubenville "will not participate in a plan that requires us to violate the consistent teachings of the Catholic Church on the sacredness of human life," according to a bulletin to students posted on the university's website.
Not only will the university drop its own plan, but it will no longer require its undergraduates to carry insurance, the bulletin said. "We didn't want to put them in a situation where they would have to violate their conscience," said Michael Hernon, a vice president at Franciscan University....
