The Blogging Platypus

When doing a quick search as to what constitutes a “religious employer,” it is not as clear cut as one would imagine. The obvious ones, such as religious schools, have already been brought before the court system for violating the workplace anti-discrimination laws. In  one case , the great RBG questioned if a religious school has the right to fire employees for reasons that have nothing to do with religion. This was in regard to a teacher who was fired after revealing that she had breast cancer and required medical leave in order to undergo chemotherapy. That teacher has since passed away. Also addressed in the case was who fell under the employee umbrella: teachers, nurses, coaches, janitors, bus drivers...  The water gets even more murky in terms of what is considered a religious employer. As of July 8, 2020, the Trump Administration won further control over women’s bodies. It was determined that “employers who have sincerely held religious beliefs or moral objections again...

Sometimes you may find yourself working for an employer that may not perfectly align with one of your personal beliefs. This may be out of necessity, to you know, live and pay your bills, while others may change jobs due to higher pay and the offer of health care insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act, there are 10 essential health benefits that all plans offered by the Marketplace  must  cover.  These include :  Ambulatory patient services Emergency services Hospitalizations (including surgery and overnight stays) Pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care Mental health and substance use disorder services Prescription medications Rehabilitative services for mental and physical conditions Laboratory services Preventative and wellness services and chronic disease management Pediatric services Plans must also include: Birth control coverage Breastfeeding coverage Further, the ACA outlines what type of contraceptive methods, when presc...

Not too long ago, I shared a picture on my backup Instagram account about the importance of providing coverage for women’s health through health insurance. In the United States, the majority of people rely on receiving their health care coverage through their employer. During a massive health crisis, like now, over 50 million people have been laid off due to business closures out of precaution. If you are not employed or your employer doesn’t provide health care insurance options for employees, you’re not covered. You can apply for coverage through programs such as Medicare, but your access to medical care isn’t guaranteed with this program, and it may take a while to get in the system. Without coverage, you run the risk of racking up significant medical bills. A surprisingly large number of people in the United States declare bankruptcy each year due to mounting medical bills, even if they have insurance. A staggering 66% of all bankruptcies were tied to medical issues. A recent ar...