The burden to cover contraception shifts to the insurance companies, but an earlier exemption for religious groups will not change.

The Obama administration announced today a small shift in an earlier position on who covers contraception, but observers are still voicing concerns over how his administration exempts religious groups.

Religious organizations will not have to provide or directly subsidize the cost of contraception or refer their employees to organizations that provide contraception, the administration announced. “Religious liberty will be protected, and a law that requires free preventive care will not discriminate against women,” Obama said in a press conference. Rather, employers’ insurance companies must offer contraception coverage to women directly, free of charge.

Pro-life groups released statements suggesting the shift was not enough. “The so-called one year delay last month was a clear slap in the face of religious groups, and this new proposal still requires religious entities that are not exempt as a church to subsidize and pay insurance companies so they can give free birth control to their employees,” said Tony Perkins, Family Research Council president. “However, it won’t be free, because the insurance companies will increase the premium and administrative costs to the employer.”

Religious groups’ initial concerns centered on two issues. In its August announcement, the administration required that religious employers that are not churches would have to cover certain contraceptives such as Plan B (or “the morning-after pill”). Groups also voiced concerns about the narrow religious exemption of churches, which was not changed under Obama’s decision today.

Observers are still determining how the White House’s announcement will impact various religious groups. For instance, it appears that for-profit religious companies will need to provide contraception. Remaining questions include whether faith-based insurance companies will be exempted from the mandate. Also unclear is how the policy will impact religious organizations that are self-insured.

“What are the actual contours? People are still trying to figure it out,” said Stanley Carlson-Thies, president of the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance. “Nobody that I’ve talked to says this is wonderful, a slam dunk, let’s go home and have Thanksgiving early.”

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