Officials at Santa Clara University in Santa
Clara, Calif., and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles announced
the change in coverage in early October, saying that the decisions were
in line with Catholic teaching and the institutions' religious
identity.
The change affects insurance coverage provided to faculty and
staff at the schools.
A 1999 California law required employers,
including religious higher education institutions, to cover elective
abortion if they offered pharmaceutical coverage in their health care
plans.
A lawsuit filed by the California Catholic Conference failed to
overturn the law.
However, the institutions said they recently learned
that they could restructure their insurance plans beginning Jan. 1 to be
fully compliant with federal and state laws while holding true to
Catholic values.
Marc Brown, spokesman for Kaiser Permanente Northern
California, one of the insurance carriers for both schools confirmed
that the company reviewed its coverage options at the request of several
employers.
He explained that the company determined it could separate coverage and
billing for elective abortions from other health care provisions.
Even
with the announced change, the schools' insurance plans will continue to
cover therapeutic abortions, contraception and other forms of
reproductive health care mandated by the state.