The National Campaign Strongly Opposes Senate Better Care Reconciliation Act: Bill Would Result in Millions of Women Losing Health Insurance and, With It, Their Contraceptive Coverage

WASHINGTON, June 23 -- The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy issued the following news release:

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy opposes the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) released by Senate leadership yesterday.

The proposed bill repeals many existing provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by making severe cuts and changes to the Medicaid program, reducing the affordability and quality of private insurance plans, and blocking low-income women's access to high quality birth control services. Together, these changes could result in millions of women losing high quality coverage for, and access to, the full range of birth control options.

"The proposed bill would fundamentally damage the ability of millions of women to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant," said Ginny Ehrlich, CEO, The National Campaign. "Should this bill be enacted, millions of women, especially those with modest or lower incomes, would lose their health insurance and, with that, their coverage and access to birth control."

The ACA has resulted in millions of women gaining health insurance coverage that has enabled them to obtain the full range of contraceptive methods without co-pays or deductibles. However, research from The National Campaign shows that despite the coverage gains of the ACA, more than 19 million American women already live in contraceptive deserts--defined by their lack of reasonable access to public health care sites offering the full range of contraceptive methods.

"Senators need to reject this bill," Ehrlich said. "Should BCRA become law, it will only worsen the current gaps in health care access and deny millions of women the power to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to become pregnant."