Henry L. Dorkin, MD, FAAP, President of the
Massachusetts Medical Society, released the following statement regarding coverage of
birth control:
“Under the Affordable Care Act, millions of women around the
country have benefited from no-copay coverage of contraception. Reducing
financial barriers to effective birth control helps women avoid unintended
pregnancy and its related health implications. Birth control helps women choose
when to become pregnant, which can lead to better outcomes for them and for
their families. And coverage of contraception without a co-pay removes the
financial burdens for women who rely on birth control for non-contraceptive
purposes.
“In the face of a federal rollback of these important
protections, the Massachusetts Medical Society is grateful to our elected
officials, who are pursuing innovative approaches toward expanding birth
control access for women and families across the state.
“Our state legislation would not only maintain the
protections under the Affordable Care Act – it would actually take steps to
ensure greater access to a range of forms of contraception for both men and
women, including emergency contraception and highly effective long-acting
reversible contraceptives (LARC).
“As physicians, we recognize the value of contraception to
the families of Massachusetts. We are disappointed that access to needed birth
control will be scaled back for many women across the country, but we are
grateful to the elected officials of the Commonwealth who understand that birth
control is essential medical care.”
