There are many easy solutions that protect the Little Sisters’ religious freedom and the right of the government to offer these services to women who want them.  Rather than trying to force religious plans to offer these services, the government could simply ask insurers to offer independent coverage to any women who want it or the government to provide these services through the ACA healthcare exchange to any employees who want them but can’t get them through employer plans. 

The Little Sisters are not trying to prevent the government from providing these services, but object to the government’s insisting the Little Sisters provide them (especially since the government has already refused to ensure that those free services are provided to one in three Americans). 

Giving all women access to contraception through one of the many alternatives would be a simpler and fairer way for the government to provide these services to women in protected religious plans and the tens of millions of Americans in other government and corporate plans the government has already exempted from the mandate.  And doing so would protect the religious freedom of the Little Sisters, who never wanted this fight and just want to get back to caring for the elderly in need.