Administration Offers Contraception Compromise for Religious Employers

The Obama administration outlined a new compromise Friday aimed at shielding religious business owners and Christian universities and charities from the health law's contraception-coverage requirements, but a chilly initial response from Roman Catholic bishops suggested the move wouldn't assuage their concerns.

Federal officials laid out fresh rules to create a multistep process in which employers opposed to including birth control in workers' insurance would state their objections in writing, and the federal government would take over responsibility for the coverage from there to ensure that employees can still obtain contraception without making copayments, as part of the law.