A Federal Victory for Contraception and Preventive Health Services

On Friday, January 20, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that all employers will be required to cover women’s preventive health services, including contraception. Most employers will have to include this coverage by August 2012, and the remaining employers must do so by August 2013.  This provision requires insurers to cover preventive services with no co-pay, co-insurance or deductibles.

On December 12, 2012, many members of the Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus wrote to President Barack Obama, urging him not to broaden the exemption of certain employers from covering for these services. The Caucus’ action was in concert with over 200,000 other comments from the public.

The Caucus’ work will continue, but we count this as an important victory in the continued effort to protect reproductive rights and women's health in this state and across the country.

Below is a link to the press release from the Department of Health and Human Services:

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2012pres/01/20120120a.html