On Thursday, a Michigan judge blocked a federal health reform mandate that would require employer-sponsored healthcare to cover contraception, including birth control and morning after pills.
In December, Tom Monaghan and Domino's Farm Corp., a property management company, sued the government, stating compliance with the requirement to offer employee birth control coverage is against his religious beliefs as a Roman Catholic, according to Bloomberg.
District Judge Lawrence Zatkoff granted Monaghan's case a preliminary injunction against the requirement, stating, "It is in the best interest of the public that Monaghan not be compelled to act in conflict with his religious beliefs," The Associated Press reports.
The company employs 45 full-time and 44 part-time workers. Monaghan claims he would have had to pay $200,000 each year to abide by the law, which employers have until August 1 to comply with.
The Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment on Thursday, but in a statement in December, said the new healthcare laws are aimed at "two compelling government interests: improving the health of women and children, and equalizing the provision of preventive care for women and men so that women who choose to can be a part of the workforce on an equal playing field with men."
The cost of extending healthcare provisions is a popular concern for many state and local employers across the country.