Columnist urges bishops to fight back against CHA birth control stance

“The Bishops Must Kill the CHA.”

That's what a writer for the National Catholic Register is calling for, a week after officials from the Catholic Health Association said they were now satisfied with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's contraception provision.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops blasted the CHA's stance, and said the changes the White House made to the birth-control mandate accomplished nothing. In Pat Archbold's opinion column, he calls for the bishops to “use all their power to push the enemy back.” He argues the bishops can't work with the CHA —the main association of Catholic hospitals and health facilities—and must force them to immediately drop the word “Catholic” from the group's name.

Archbold also is urging the bishops' group to threaten to sever ties with the CHA, arguing the CHA position “calls into question their commitment to Catholic principles and their affiliation with the church.”

“If we are to save truly Catholic healthcare in this country, we must amputate the rotting limbs immediately or risk losing the patient,” the column read.

The CHA, a key supporter of the ACA, worked with the Obama administration for months after the government unveiled the initial regulation early last year. The CHA opposed the first version of the mandate, saying it wanted Catholic-related facilities made exempt. The changes led to a CHA endorsement, with the association saying it was happy with the solution that ensures employees access to birth control without an out-of-pocket cost. At the same time, Catholic and other religious employers aren't forced to pay or arrange for contraception coverage.

The register's post drew more than 230 comments, with the majority agreeing with Archbold's call. A CHA spokesman said the organization, which represents more than 600 Catholic hospitals and 1,400 other healthcare facilities, had no comment on the Register's post.

Follow Ashok Selvam on Twitter: @MH_aselvam