Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh blasts response in Obamacare dispute

Aug. 12--The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh says the government "has been slow to offer anything of substance" as both sides try to work out their differences in a dispute over a contraceptive insurance coverage mandate.

The diocese, along with other religious organizations across the country, filed a lawsuit against the government objecting to provisions in the Affordable Care Act that mandate the church and its affiliate agencies provide coverage for birth control or file a form opting out.

The Supreme Court unanimously decided in May to send the cases back to the lower courts.

Attorneys for the diocese met with representatives of the Department of Justice on June 20 in Washington, D.C., said the Rev. Ronald Lengwin, a spokesman for the Pittsburgh diocese.

However, "the government has been slow to offer anything of substance to pursue a negotiated solution, except to mention its openness to future meetings," the diocese said Wednesday in a statement.

Mark Abueg, a Department of Justice spokesman, declined to comment.

The diocese claims the government is "apparently trying to take over -- to force our third-party administrators to include the objectionable coverage in our self-insured plans."

The Affordable Care Act requires employers to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs or face a fine of $100 per employee per day. The law exempts churches and other religious employers but not their nonprofit affiliates.

The Supreme Court ruling says that the government can provide contraceptive coverage for the nonprofits' female employees but can't fine or otherwise penalize the nonprofits while the cases are pending.

Officials with the dioceses testified in court that the fines would drive their nonprofits into bankruptcy.

Tony Raap is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at [email protected].

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