Massachusetts House legislators sanctioned a bill Wednesday that guarantees residents access to free birth control in the state and protects them from changes to the same federal law.
The bill guarantees Massachusetts residents receive no copay coverage for birth control from health insurers regardless of federal policy or changes to similar stipulations in the Affordable Care Act.
Three days after the bill was reported by its sponsor, the Joint Committee on Financial Services, the proposed law headed to Senate after a convincing 140-16 vote in the House.
Jennifer Childs-Roshak, the president of the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, said in a press release she applauds the House for providing access to free birth control in the state and hopes the Senate follows suit.
“A woman’s ability to take care of herself and plan her family should never be left to the whim of the federal government or her employer,” Childs-Roshak said in the release. “The ACCESS bill is commonsense legislation that recognizes birth control is basic preventive care that keeps people healthy and saves money.”
The bill comes a month after the government issued a rule that severely restricts the ACA’s contraception coverage order, according to the release.
Childs-Roshak said Massachusetts is stepping up amid President Donald Trump’s and his administration’s “anti-women, anti-health agenda.”
“Today, the Massachusetts House of Representatives made clear that birth control access is not up for debate in Massachusetts,” Childs-Roshak said in the release. “While the Trump Administration is laser focused on making it harder for people to access the care they need, Massachusetts is stepping up to protect the health and wellbeing of its residents by passing the ACCESS bill and keeping birth control affordable and accessible.”
Moya Bailey, a professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Northeastern University, said there is more than one motive for providing access to birth control in the state.
“It’s not just about preventing pregnancies, people use birth control for a lot of different reasons,” she said. “Allowing people to have access to the medication that they need is one of the things that is inspiring about Massachusetts — it’s really taking care of its population by making birth control accessible to more people.”
Bailey said the nation’s residents lie in a “precarious situation” concerning its federal government since Massachusetts is seen as more progressive than the federal government.
“Conversely there are states that are much more regressive, so I think the question remains, ‘What do we value as a culture and are we willing to support people and their health needs regardless of our political ideology and others choices?’” she said.
Several Boston residents expressed support for the bill and its aim to provide every citizen with access to free birth control.
Christine Griffin, 33, of Allston, said while the Trump administration is tightening regulations on free birth control and related privileges for Americans, she is pleased Massachusetts has broken the standard.
“This is incredible and unprecedented,” Griffin said. “Donald Trump’s America was quite literally putting a stranglehold on birth control and similar rights. I’m so happy we’ve broken through as a state and made way for free birth control for all women regardless of their political beliefs.”
Michael Russell, 24, of Dorchester, said the federal government should follow suit and work to provide nationwide care.
“This bill is absolutely fantastic,” Russell said. “Women should have access to free birth control all across the country. It’s about time they enacted something like this.”
Shanique Lewis, 24, of Dorchester, said women all over the world should have access to free birth control.
“It seems like it should be a natural-born human right for all women,” Lewis said. “I know the state of Massachusetts has been very progressive when it comes to things like this, so this bill seems to further advance that idea.”
very fair and balanced article.