Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday was asked if he supports “any restrictions on a person’s right to contraception.” (Photo of a package of birth control pills by Getty Images)
The Pennsylvania House passed a bill on a bipartisan basis Tuesday that would expand insurance coverage for contraception in the state.
House Bill 1140, sponsored by state Rep. Leanne Krueger (D-Delaware), would require insurance programs like Medicaid and CHIP to provide coverage of contraceptive care without cost sharing, such as deductibles or copays.
“Simply put, this bill protects and codifies access to contraceptives here in Pennsylvania,” Krueger said on the floor, before the House passed the bill by a 133-69 vote.
Krueger said that there is currently no protection in state law for contraceptive access and believes this legislation is necessary to ensure Pennsylvanians have the access to medications that they need.
Krueger said she first introduced similar legislation in 2020 and has introduced it in every legislative session since. The bill reflects a “true compromise,” Krueger added, noting it previously passed the Insurance and Rules committees with bipartisan support.
“Contraceptive care is health care, plain and simple,” Krueger said. “Insurance coverage of contraception is critical to ensure that people can access and benefit from contraceptive care.”
In addition to contraceptives being used to prevent unplanned pregnancies, they can also be used by patients to help treat decreased bleeding and pain with menstrual periods, reduce the risk of gynecological disorders, treat endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease and decrease risks of endometrial and ovarian cancer, she noted.
“When we make policy, it really shouldn’t matter why an individual requests contraceptive care from their doctor,” Krueger said.
If the bill becomes law, Pennsylvania would join at least 30 states and the District of Columbia that require insurers that cover prescription drugs to provide coverage of FDA-approved prescription contraceptive drugs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
The bill heads next to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration.
The post Pa. House passes bill protecting access to contraceptives appeared first on Pennsylvania Capital-Star.