your health care is killing me

I just received an email from human resources saying that my employer, Cornerstone University, has qualified for a one year “safe harbor” exclusion from offering the government mandated emergency contraception coverage.

The statement reads:  “Cornerstone University, as the sponsor of your group health plan, has certified that it qualifies for a temporary enforcement safe harbor with respect to the Federal requirement to cover contraceptive services without cost sharing.  Retroactive to October 1, 2012 and during this one-year period, coverage under your group health plan will not include coverage of Ella (brand), Plan B and One Step (brand), Next Choice and One Dose/Step (generic), and IUDs.”

The email also said that “We will continue to follow the required legal steps as we try to permanently exclude emergency contraceptives from our health plan,” which violate “our biblical stance on the value of human life.”

My question is what happens on October 1 of this year. Will the government fine us for not violating our biblical values? And given the precarious nature of private colleges, would such a fine threaten our existence? How many other Christian colleges and businesses (e.g., Hobby Lobby) are in the same boat? This could get interesting.