The White House announced Friday that President Joe Biden will issue an executive order to strengthen access to affordable, high quality contraception and family planning services.
This action comes just about a year after the U.S. Supreme Court issued the unpopular Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade abortion access protections. It is the third executive order on reproductive health care issued since the opinion and the first focused on contraception.
“Contraception is an essential component of reproductive health care that has only become more important in the wake of Dobbs and the ensuing crisis in women’s access to health care,” said the White House.
Biden’s executive order includes the following actions:
· Directing the secretaries of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (HHS) “to consider new guidance to ensure that private health insurance under the Affordable Care Act covers all Food and Drug Administration-approved, -granted, or -cleared contraceptives without cost sharing.”
· Directing the secretaries of the Treasury, Labor, and HHS “to consider new actions to improve access to affordable over-the-counter contraception, including emergency contraception.”
· Directing the Secretary of HHS “to consider new actions that expand access to affordable family planning services and supplies across the Medicaid program.”
· Directing the Secretary of HHS “to consider new actions to strengthen the coverage of contraception through Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans.”
· Directing the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management “to consider new actions to ensure robust coverage of contraception for Service members, veterans, and Federal employees and ensure that they and their families understand how to access these benefits.”
· Directing the Secretary of HHS “to consider encouraging Federally-supported health care and human services entities, such as Title X family planning clinics, community health centers, and the Indian Health Service, to expand the availability and quality of contraception access for those they serve.”
· Directing the Secretary of Labor “to identify and share best practices for employers and insurers in making affordable, high-quality contraception available to employees.”
· Directing the Secretary of Education “to convene institutions of higher education to share best practices and ways to make sure that students understand their options for accessing contraception.”
· Directs the Secretary of HHS “to support research, data collection, and data analysis on contraception access and family planning services.”
According to HealthCare.gov, plans in the Health Insurance Marketplace are already required to cover contraceptive methods and counseling for all women if they are prescribed by a health care provider without charging a copayment or coinsurance even if patients haven’t met their deductible. FDA approved birth control methods include: diaphragms, sponges, birth control pills, vaginal rings, intrauterine devices (IUDs), emergency contraception and sterilization procedures.
“One year ago, the Supreme Court eliminated a constitutional right that it had previously recognized, overturning nearly fifty years of precedent,” said the White House Friday. “Today, more than 23 million women of reproductive age – one in three – live in one of the 18 states with an abortion ban currently in effect. In the last year, women have been denied essential medical care to preserve their health and even save their lives.”
In the wake of the opinion, trigger bans making it nearly impossible to access abortions went into effect in several states. For example, Texas has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country – the procedures are almost completely banned and state Medicaid coverage of abortion is banned, per the Guttmacher Institute. According to the Power to Decide organization, more than 1.7 million women in Texas also live in contraception deserts.
KRLD reported on polls released this week that show most Americans oppose the Dobbs decision and believe it has been bad for the nation.
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