Birth Control Pills (wikimedia commons)

As part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the Obama Administration officially declared that through company insurance plans, all employers must provide their female employees with free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs.

This mandate attempts to saving money for corporations by reducing unplanned pregnancies, and therefore cutting down on paid maternity leave and pregnancy costs.

In the United States, maternity and newborn care make up the largest category of hospital payments for insurance companies, which shell out an average of $18,000 to $28,000 per birth. The total cost of a conventional hospital birth in America is almost five times as high as in Britain. 

“I think [the mandate] will cut down on abortions, so people who oppose abortion should approve of it,” said Lois Williams, 92, a member of the Democratic Women of San Fernando Valley.

The final ruling exempts houses of worship and lays out an accommodation for religious nonprofit organizations such as hospitals and schools.

These organizations can tell their insurance providers that they object, in which case the provider can give contraception coverage separately to the women free of charge. This allows the insurance companies rather than the religious employers to fund the contraception.

Employers have until January 1, 2014 to comply with these regulations, but the mandate is already the subject of 60 lawsuits by more than 200 plaintiffs.

The highest-profile of the many lawsuits is Hobby Lobby vs. Sebelius, in which the Oklahoma-based Hobby Lobby chain challenged the Obamacare mandate. The U.S. Court of Appeals blocked enforcement of the ruling against the store on June 28, and the case will continue at the next hearing on July 19.

The mandate is also under contestation from dioceses of the Catholic Church, who challenged it under the grounds of the First Amendment-freedom of religion.

The Cardinal Newman Society, a national organization that promotes Catholic education denounced these accommodation as "false."

"[It] does not respect the religious freedom of religious employers and simply pretends that coverage of abortion, sterilization and contraception will be paid by the insurance companies' other clients instead of the religious organization," said the Cardinal Newman Society in a statement they released after the ruling. The statement also accused President Obama of standing for the "Culture of Death."

Interestingly, the ruling does not contradict the doctrine of the American Catholic Church, which follows a somewhat different set of principles than the Roman Catholic Church.

“We would be in favor of [the mandate],” said Bishop Robert Clement, the Archbishop of the American Catholic Church in Los Angeles. “We’re not under papal obedience…we leave decisions about birth control up to individuals. We offer moral and ethical guidance, but in these matters, people must make up their own minds.”

Religious views aside, women in Los Angeles, however, are generally pleased by the Administration's final decision.

"I don't think birth control should be an out-of-pocket expense," said Antoinette Morris, who personally works for an insurance company. "Birth control is expensive and it's not affordable if it's not covered by insurance."

Some also commented that the measure took a refreshingly proactive approach to reproductive health. 

"Many people bring children into the world that they aren't prepared for, so if their employers are forced to provide those services, I think that's a good thing," said Nadia Emelia, a Broker Sales Associate for Coldwell Banker.

Check back with Neon Tommy later this month for updates on the status of this hotly contested mandate. 

Reach Staff Reporter Anne Artley here.