In August, when the new federal mandate that insurance plans offer free contraceptive services kicks in, it will save women in Wisconsin hundreds and perhaps thousands of dollars. But it also adds fuel to a long-simmering debate over religious freedom in the state. And the effect on Catholics in Wisconsin could be surprising….Among those applauding the new requirement is Grace Colas, a UW-Madison junior who co-chairs the campus chapter of Advocates for Choice, an affiliate of Planned Parenthood. She pays about $45 every three months for birth control under her insurance plan. Colas, 20, welcomes the mandate but said more should be done to help poor women pay for contraception.
“I think it’s important to remember that this is a matter of making basic health care accessible,” she said.