POWER TO DECIDE APPLAUDS THE AFFORDABILITY IS ACCESS ACT

(Washington, D.C.) —Yesterday, Senator Patty Murray and Representative Ayanna Pressley introduced the Affordability Is Access Act. The bill would ensure that when the Food and Drug Administration approves an oral birth control pill for over-the-counter sale, health insurance will cover it without a prescription and without any out-of-pocket costs.

“The Affordability Is Access Act is another important step towards ensuring that all women continue to have access to contraception without any out-of-pocket costs by ensuring that these conditions stay intact when over-the-counter contraception becomes available,” said Ginny Ehrlich, CEO, Power to Decide. “We are enthusiastic about the Affordability Is Access Act because its tenets support our efforts to make access to the full range of contraceptive methods available and accessible to all women.”

Access to birth control has been politicized despite overwhelming public support for contraception. For example, 78% of adults, regardless of race, region and political affiliation believe that birth control is a basic part of women’s health care. In addition, the majority of adults support policies that make it easier to access the full range of birth control methods.

Despite critical programs that provide birth control access and require coverage without co-pays, more than 19.5 million low-income women live in contraceptive deserts, counties that lack reasonable access to a health center offering the full range of contraceptive methods. These access barriers disproportionally impact women with low income, women of color and women living in rural areas. Further, 1.6 million low-income women live in counties without a single health center that offers any birth control services.

“All people, regardless of where they live or what their economic status is, deserve the power to decide if, when and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child,” continued Ehrlich. “The Affordability Is Access Act includes safeguards which will help move us closer to this goal.”

Power to Decide is a private, non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to ensure all people—no matter who they are, where they live or what their economic status might be—have the power to decide if, when and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child. Please visit us at www.PowerToDecide.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.