The Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services (the “Departments”) recently issued guidance for group health plans outlining a “therapeutic equivalence” medical management technique for required preventive services coverage of contraceptives. The guidance, which was issued in the form of FAQs that can be downloaded here, builds on previous FAQs addressing required

As part of its requirement that non-grandfathered group health plans provide benefits for certain preventive care without cost sharing, the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) requires these plans to cover at least one form of women’s contraception in each of the 18 methods identified by the Food and Drug Administration.  The U.S. Supreme Court previously ruled in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., 134 S.Ct. 2751 (2014) that the contraceptive mandate was invalid with respect to for-profit, closely held corporations whose owners objected to providing the insurance coverage on religious grounds.