Statement: Mercy won't have to comply with contraceptive coverag - KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports

Officials at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services say 47-million women have better health coverage. That's after several new provisions of the Affordable Care Act took effect at midnight Monday morning.

Those who qualify can use eight prevention-related health care services at no extra charge. They include: well-woman visits, diabetes screenings for pregnant women, and domestic and interpersonal violence screenings, and counseling.

That contraceptive coverage has some Catholics calling for the mandate's repeal. Sioux City's Mercy Medical Center opposes the mandate, and the requirement that the hospital's insurance plan provide contraceptive coverage to its employees.

But, there's a loophole for Mercy. In a statement, hospital officials claim that because Mercy is a non-profit, which doesn't provide contraceptive coverage through a health plan right now, the deadline to begin providing that coverage was extended to August 1st 2013.

Mercy hopes through "continued advocacy" the hospital will be considered a "religious employer," and be exempt from the requirement.