Should employers have to pay for birth control? Published March 15, 2012 at 7:25 AM PDT This story was published more than 13 years ago. Facebook WhatsApp Email Recently, the issue of employers offering contraceptive coverage to their female employees has been debated. President Barack Obama helped negotiate a compromise that would preserve coverage without requiring religious institutions to pay that portion of health costs. Should non-religious employers be exempt from paying for birth control because they have personal or moral objections? Or should companies have to provide contraceptive coverage to the women they employ?