Trump Administration Enacts Sweeping Executive Order Attacking Access to Birth Control on the Same Day House Votes to ‘Defund’ Planned Parenthood
Today
Statement by
"This is an administration that has had women's health in its crosshairs since day one. It is unbelievable that in 2017 women's access to basic health care is still up for debate. In the span of a few hours, DC politicians will have moved to strip women of maternity care, the ability to come to
"This executive order is not about protecting religious liberty -- it is a direct attack on women's access to birth control. A woman's health should not be up to her boss or politicians."
"This executive order comes on the same day the House votes to 'defund'
Background
Facts about birth control:
* We are at an all-time low in unintended pregnancy and in pregnancy among teens because of increased use and more effective use of birth control.
* The importance of affordable birth control access can't be overstated: Many of the gains women have made since 1965 -- in obtaining education, pursuing careers in increasing numbers, moving closer to pay equity, and in the timing and spacing of children -- are the direct result of increased access to birth control. Women have saved an estimated
* One-third of the wage gains women have made since the 1960s are the result of access to oral contraceptives.
* Young women's access to the pill contributes to their educational success: Research shows that women who had access to the pill before age 21 were less likely to drop out of college.
*
* Ninety-nine percent of sexually active women will use contraception at some point in their lifetimes. Birth control should be treated like any other preventive medical care.
Background: The American Health Care Act is the worst bill for women's health in a generation.
Blocks low-income patients from receiving health care at
Eliminates protections for the millions with pre-existing conditions. By removing the community rating provision, insurers would be allowed to once again charge people with pre-existing conditions an exorbitant amount for coverage. The community rating provision prohibits people from being charged more based on health status, gender, health status, occupation, and age.
Discriminates against women. Despite the fact that the proposal claims to maintain the current prohibition on gender rating, it still allows insurers to once again discriminate against women. Eliminating the community rating provision disproportionately affects women -insurers can claim having given birth, having had a C-section, or having been a survivor of domestic violence is a so-called pre-existing condition. For example, a woman who had breast cancer could be charged a premium surcharge of more than
Eliminates maternity coverage, newborn care and other Essential Health Benefits (EHB) coverage standards. The bill guts the Essential Health Benefits provision, which requires the majority of health plans to cover services like maternity and newborn care, mental health services, and prescription drugs. Approximately 13 million women who gained access to maternity coverage under the ACA stand to lose their coverage. Women also benefit from the EHB in other ways; for example, women are more likely to need prescription drugs to manage their health care needs, develop mental health needs, and require lab services to diagnose autoimmune disorders. This is a direct attack on women of all ages, since women disproportionately rely on every one of the EHB standards - not just maternity coverage. (Full list below)
Forces new mothers with
Kicks millions of women and men off their insurance. The CBO reports that 24 million people will lose coverage over the next 10 years, 14 million of which will lose
Ends
Guts the
Imposing Additional Costs on Women. The
Reduces women's access to no-copay birth control. While the bill does not specifically repeal the no-copay birth control benefit, the fact that millions of women will lose coverage means they will no longer have access to no-copay birth control. Under the ACA, more than 55 million women gained access to no-copay birth control in the private insurance market, and approximately 16.7 million women benefit from
Creates a nationwide ban on abortion coverage. The
FACT SHEET: Rolling Back the ACA's Essential Health Benefits Will Hurt Women
1. AMBULATORY
2. EMERGENCY SERVICES: Women account for 6 in 10 visits to the emergency room.
3. HOSPITALIZATIONS: Women are 70% more likely than men to have had an in-patient hospital stay.
4. MATERNITY & NEWBORN CARE: Approximately 13 million women could stand to lose maternity coverage. Prior to the ACA only 12% of individual market health plans covered maternity care. And, prior to the ACA, some insurance plans did not cover C-sections at all; when they did, they charged women 25 percent more in premiums.
5. MENTAL HEALTH & SUBSTANCE USE: Women are 40% more likely than men to have mental health needs. Additionally, women are roughly 75% more likely than men to report having recently suffered from depression.
6. PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: Women are more likely than men to need prescription drugs to meet their daily health care needs.
7. REHABILITATIVE SERVICES: Women are more likely to suffer from a stroke and require rehabilitative services to help them regain motor or speaking skills.
8. LAB TESTS: Some of the most common lab tests are specifically geared to women, including pap smears, pregnancy tests, mammograms, brca gene testing (breast cancer testing), and many other lab services that are necessary to diagnose and treat conditions that disproportionately impact women like autoimmune disorders, thyroid disorders, and urinary tract infections.
9. PREVENTIVE SERVICES & CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT: 55 million have received access to no cost birth control, well-woman visits, domestic violence screenings, and STI/HIV screenings thanks to the ACA.
10. PEDIATRIC SERVICES. In two-parent households where at least one parent is a woman, women tend to bear a disproportionate share of childcare and caregiving responsibility for children. In addition, 80% of single-parent households are headed by women.
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