The fact that the employer gets to decide whether they will be covered or not effectively makes it up to the employer -- not to women who can't afford to pay for oral contraceptives on their own. -- That's how it's been for years now (although I've known a lot of companies, even smaller ones, that offer a few options on health insurance). If the employer making decisions about what's covered in health care was the REAL issue and not the contraception mandate, why haven't you said anything sooner? Or, if you have, I'd love to see it.

Also, if a woman can't afford to pay for birth control on her own, that's what Title X is for, and that's been in place for over 30 years now.