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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Birth Control Proposal as Future of Abortion Access in Arizona is yet to be Determined
Last week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a proposed rule that would significantly expand coverage of contraception without cost-sharing for millions of individuals with private health insurance nationwide.
In response to last week’s announcement, Bré Thomas, CEO of Affirm Sexual and Reproductive Health released the following statement:
“We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for taking this critical step to break down barriers and increase access to birth control. This is particularly important for people living in states like Arizona with extreme abortion bans, restrictions, and generally hostile reproductive health care landscapes. With the outcome of Proposition 139 deciding abortion rights for Arizonans in next week’s election, contraception access is a critical safety net. As we celebrate this progress, we urge lawmakers to build upon it by acting to ensure that everyone– regardless of their insurance status– has equitable access to birth control through the passage of the Arizona Right to Contraception Act next legislative session.”
The new rule builds upon the progress made by the Biden-Harris Administration to expand access to affordable contraception, including through its restoration of the Title X federal family planning program, and comes as the recent release of the 2023 Family Planning Annual Report data reflects a 7% increase from 2022 in Title X services provided to clients across the country.
An overwhelming majority of Americans support access to birth control, and nearly all women use contraception in their lifetimes. Still, barriers to affordable, accessible birth control coverage – including over-the-counter methods – remain.
