Yesterday, the Supreme Court decided that some businesses have the right to force their employees, particularly women, to choose private health insurance plans that do not cover birth control, while other companies must follow the Affordable Care Act, providing insurance that covers birth control for men and women. Because of this decision, some women will have to pay for birth control out of their own pocket, while other women will have their healthcare fully covered. For many of my constituents, insurance means affordable healthcare. Purchasing expensive prescriptions every month is not an option. In my district, we have been fortunate to see the number of uninsured people decrease thanks to the Affordable Care Act. We still have a long way to go, but we are a few steps closer to guaranteeing that nobody has to choose between going to the doctor and keeping their home – that everybody has access to affordable, quality health care. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ruling means that some of my constituents, even after they get health coverage, will not be able to use legal, safe birth control methods. This essential health care benefit that lets families choose something as basic as whether or not they want to have a child. Contraceptives have been critical in allowing women to fully take control of their lives. To put an employer between a woman and her doctor when making this decision is unfair. To force certain women to allow their boss to make healthcare choices violates the concept of equal treatment that our nation was founded on. When I say that I want my constituents to have access to affordable health care, I don’t mean just antibiotics, or just casts for broken bones or vaccinations. I don’t get to pick and choose, and neither should your boss. Access to affordable health care means each person is given the resources they need to live a healthy, successful life, according to their own beliefs. I hope that Congress and the Administration will be able to find a way to keep ensuring this right for women and families if their employer decides to take it away.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 16:43:04 +0000
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