SCOTUS declines to rule on ObamaCare contraceptive mandate challenge

The Supreme Court declined Monday to rule on a challenge to ObamaCare's contraceptive mandate from religious groups, instead throwing out previous rulings in favor of the Obama administration and sending the case back down to the lower courts, Reuters reports.

The surprise move is a good sign for the groups, which are dissatisfied with the Obama administration's workaround to providing contraceptive care to employees of companies that object to the health-care law's mandate on faith-based grounds. They argued that filling out the letter objecting to contraceptive coverage goes against their faith, as it allows employees to receive contraceptive coverage from insurers.

The Supreme Court "expresses no view on the merits of the cases," the justices wrote in a unanimous decision. The lower courts, Talking Points Memo reports, will look at implementing alternative accommodation to the contraceptive mandate.

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Vox's Sarah Kliff best summed up the Supreme Court's move. Julie Kliegman