President Donald Trump's administration agreed to a $3 million settlement regarding lawsuits filed against the former administration over the ACA's contraception mandate, according to a BuzzFeed News report.
Here are seven things to know.
1. Approximately 80 organizations and individuals filed 17 lawsuits related to the contraception coverage mandate put in place during former President Barack Obama's administration, according to the report. The filers were represented by law firm Jones Day and advocacy group First Liberty Institute.
2. The plaintiffs argued the mandate, which requires health insurers in the ACA marketplace and employer-sponsored plans cover certain contraceptive methods, posed a "'substantial burden' on their exercise of religion and could not be legally enforced against them," according to the report.
3. Jones Day initially sought $29 million in legal fees and costs on behalf of its clients. However, that amount ultimately was negotiated to $3 million, according to the report.
4. In addition to the $3 million agreed to by those parties, the federal government also agreed to pay First Liberty Institute about $300,000, BuzzFeed News reported, citing settlement documents.
5. Both agreements were executed last year.
6. A Department of Justice spokesperson told the publication via statement, "As the President and the Attorney General have made clear, they will always seek to protect and defend religious liberty. The protracted litigation never should have happened in the first place and the government appropriately paid reasonable attorney's fees and costs as is required by law to be paid to prevailing parties in cases brought under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act."
7. A Jones Day spokesperson did not immediately return a request from BuzzFeed News for comment.
Read the full story here.
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