Right or Rotten? Wheaton College Axes Student Health Insurance Over Contraception

On Friday, more than 700 Wheaton College students will need to find a new outlet for health insurance.

That’s the day the evangelical college’s July 10 decision to drop student health care coverage goes into effect, a decision prompted by the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

»Via the Chicago Tribune

Under the mandate’s compromise provision, contraception would be provided by the school’s insurer or a third party and paid for by the U.S. government, thereby not involving the school and avoiding any violation of its religious beliefs. Wheaton College objects to contraception after intercourse that destroys a fertilized egg but isn’t against contraception that prevents fertilization, according to a Christianity Today report.

While other religious schools and organizations have gone along with the provision, Wheaton College officials found it unacceptable and at odds with its spiritual teachings. Mark Rienzi, a lawyer for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington-based law firm representing the school, told the Tribune:

“When you order somebody to provide something for the beneficiaries of my plan, you are using my plan. For the government to do that is to effectively change the terms of the plan.”

Although universities and colleges don’t have to provide health insurance for its students, Wheaton College has set up a fund to help those who can’t afford the cost of a coverage increase, the report stated.

»RELATED: Wheaton College Sues Over HHS Preventative Services Mandate

Wheaton College also has been at the legal forefront when it comes to fighting measures insisting certain contraceptive services, drugs and devices be covered by insurance. The school currently has a lawsuit pending against the mandate.

YOUR TURN: Do you think Wheaton College should have dropped its student health insurance? Should the school be exempt from even the compromise provision of the Affordable Care Act? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.