Contraceptive Charade

I’ve taken a look at the supposed concessions made by the Obama administration about required insurance coverage for contraceptives. Here’s what the White House fact sheet says:

The President will also announce that his Administration will propose and finalize a new regulation during this transition year to address the religious objections of the non-exempted non-profit religious organizations. The new regulation will require insurance companies to cover contraception if the religious organization chooses not to. Under the policy:

o Religious organizations will not have to provide contraceptive coverage or refer their employees to organizations that provide contraception.

o Religious organizations will not be required to subsidize the cost of contraception.

o Contraception coverage will be offered to women by their employers’ insurance companies directly, with no role for religious employers who oppose contraception.

o Insurance companies will be required to provide contraception coverage to these women free of charge.

Hum. Religious organizations will not be required to subsidize the cost of contraception—and women will get the coverage FREE OF CHARGE. Is that because contraceptives and a system for delivering them and processing insurance paperwork COST NOTHING?

This is a charade. Insurance companies will obvious raise overall premiums to provide adequate income for the “free” contraceptives. So religious organizations that pay the premiums will indeed be subsidizing the cost of contraceptives.

I find myself exasperated. Why is the Left so committed to the goal of free contraceptives for women?