Physicians for Reproductive Health joins more than 80 other organizations in supporting the reintroduction of the Equal Access to Coverage in Health Insurance Act, or EACH Woman Act, in the House of Representatives. Dr. Diane Horvath-Cosper responds to the introduction of the EACH Woman Act in a statement:
“The EACH Woman Act is a vision for how our patients should be able to get the care they need—without lack of coverage standing in the way. It would lift unnecessary and dangerous bans on abortion coverage and ensure that all women, regardless of what they earn, can make decisions about abortion with dignity and respect. For too long, politicians have interfered in our exam rooms and pushed abortion care out of reach for millions of patients.
Patients like Maria*, who lives in Washington, DC, just south of the Maryland border. She is insured by DC Medicaid, which has taken care of her medical needs for years as she has worked hard to support her children with three part-time jobs, none of which offer insurance coverage. When Maria’s contraception failed and she became pregnant, she said she needed to think first of her family and her ability to provide for them. She chose to have an abortion, and was shocked to learn that her insurance would not cover the procedure because of the Hyde Amendment. She was especially upset when she learned that if she had lived less than a half a mile to the north, in Maryland, the procedure would have been covered under Maryland Medicaid. Maria scrambled to collect the money to pay for the procedure, which was a significant financial hardship that required her to make a decision between paying for her abortion or paying for basic necessities like food and rent.
Physicians yearn to be able to provide safe and compassionate care to all our patients, not just those who have resources. The Hyde Amendment disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable—low-income women, women of color, immigrant women, and young people—and flies in the face of our commitment to care for all patients. We urge representatives to support the EACH Woman Act to protect the freedoms of women and families.”
*Name was changed.