The Womxn Project is a 501c4 and works toward reproductive justice, bodily autonomy, and freedom in Rhode Island. The movement we stand behind is based on creating a culture that embraces the human dignity of all people living in Rhode Island and beyond.
Access to contraceptives for birthing people is critical to improving health outcomes and ensuring their economic security. The Affordable Care Act required contraceptive coverage, and that had a tremendous impact on birthing people by eliminating a barrier to its use.
I believe that S2088 is vital to the health of Rhode Islanders because it updates an existing law that mandates contraceptive coverage. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, there have been more than 2,000 challenges to it, in whole or in part. I am grateful to live in a state that codified preventative care, which takes the teeth from these challenges. I believe it’s important that this bill be updated to ensure people’s access to all FDA-approved contraceptive methods, limit insurer restrictions, and ensure that the no-cost provision for over-the-counter contraception is more readily accessible.
Preventative reproductive care is part of basic healthcare. Before contraceptives were covered by the Affordable Care Act, birthing people had higher costs than other people based simply on their body type. It’s important that birthing people are never penalized that way again, and I urge you to support S2088.