Republicans have been undermining the Affordable Care Act (ACA) every which way in the past year. Many of their efforts target women. Since last week included International Women’s Day, we wanted to emphasize the threats to women’s health.
The ACA created many protections that are at risk as the Republicans introduce and enact new policies. Under the new short-term health insurance plans, women can to be charged more than men for coverage, individuals can be discriminated against if they have pre-existing conditions, and maternity coverage will be more expensive. New rules allow employers to opt out of offering health insurance covering birth control pills. Republicans continue to threaten Planned Parenthood’s funding and ability to create access to care, and they have attempted to gut Medicaid while also adding onerous work requirements to Medicaid coverage.
The proposed provider refusal regulations released in January are yet another effort to erode health care access for women and other vulnerable populations by permitting providers’ personal beliefs to dictate the health care that their patients do or don’t receive. As the National Women’s Law Center said, “This Proposed Rule is a broad and dangerous expansion of existing law, granting new rights to those who believe their personal beliefs should determine the care a patient receives. It is the latest in this Administration’s attempts to roll back the rights of women and LGBTQ individuals—many of whom, in particular individuals of color and those struggling to make ends meet – already face barriers in accessing the full range of health services and coverage that meets their health needs.” Comment to HHS by March 27 to demand that they get rid of this harmful rule and put patients first. For more information about commenting, visit nwlc.org. In another assault on women’s rights, the funding notice for the Title X family planning program revealed a new focus on abstinence and natural family planning methods, which is expected to further erode women’s access to contraceptive care.
In response to these threats, Washington State recently passed legislation to protect and strengthen women’s health care rights. Once it is signed by the Governor, HB 1523 will require health plans to continue covering, without cost sharing, the set of preventive services required by the Obama Administration. The Reproductive Parity Act, SB 6219, will ensure that insurance companies provide birth control coverage without co-pays, and will require private insurance companies that provide coverage for maternity care to also cover abortion care. These bills are critical to guarantee coverage for contraceptive and abortion care, regardless of what happens with the ACA.
A recent Guttmacher Institute study found unintended pregnancies have declined worldwide since 1990 – 30% in developed countries and 16% in developing countries. Continued investments in health care programs and policies are needed to ensure that women and couples have access to contraceptives and family planning services.
The newly released 2017 Kaiser Women’s Health Survey finds approximately one in ten women remain uninsured and nearly three in four support making oral contraceptives available over-the-counter.
