Should Healthcare Plans Be Required to Cover Costs of Birth Control? — Survey of the Day
Last week, President Obama issued a directive which would require all health insurance plans to cover the cost of birth control.
The move is opposed by some religious groups, most prominently the Conference of Catholic Bishops. According to a new New York Times/CBS poll of 1,197 adults, the majority of Americans side with the president on this issue.
Fifty-nine percent of the poll’s respondents said that insurance plans should be made to cover birth control, even if they are being issued by religious institutions which oppose birth control measures. Thirty-four percent said such institutions shouldn’t be forced to cover birth control.
Among Catholics, the numbers are quite similar to general public, with 57 percent supporting the measure and 36 percent opposing it. However, only 43 percent of evangelical Christians support the directive, whereas 50 percent oppose it.