Notre Dame's Affordable Care Act Suit Sent Back To Lower Court

The U.S. Supreme Court is telling a lower court to reconsider its decision on Notre Dame’s lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act contraception mandate. The appeals court had ruled in favor of the Obama administration.

Notre Dame is arguing it should not be required to provide its employees with birth control because that goes against its religious beliefs.

An appeals court denied that argument in February, saying the Obama administration had provided adequate alternatives, such as using federal dollars to pay a third party insurance company that would then provide the contraceptive coverage.

But a few months later, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby — after that company said it should not be required to provide contraceptives either.

The Supreme Court says, in light of that, the appeals court needs to reconsider its decision.

The appeals court could still rule against Notre Dame, but it must take the reasoning the justices used in the Hobby Lobby case into consideration.