American Medical Student Association

Planned Parenthood Federation of America today said that the revised accommodation to the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit will ensure that women can access no co-pay birth control as part of basic health care. Following is a statement issued by Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

“This policy delivers on the promise of women having access to birth control without co-pays no matter where they work. Of course, we are reviewing the technical aspects of this proposal, but the principle is clear and consistent. This policy makes it clear that your boss does not get to decide whether you can have birth control.

“Birth control is a basic and essential component of women’s preventive health care. Women have been fighting for access to birth control for decades, and this is a historic advance for both health care and equality. As one of the nation’s leading providers of reproductive health care, Planned Parenthood has led the charge for access to contraception for nearly a century, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that women have access to birth control without hurdles or co-pays.”

For more information, click here. 

Kathy Wollner

Health Policy Chair, AMSA

Today is the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the historic Supreme Court decision that ensured a woman's right to safe and legal abortion. Unfortunately, since 1963, federal and state legislators have worked very hard to chip away at that right, decreasing access for women throughout the United States through restrictions on insurance coverage; waiting periods; and mandatory, medically unnecessary ultrasounds to name a few. The most significant of these is the Hyde Amendment, which keeps Medicaid from paying for terminations, leaving the poor and marginalized, those often at greatest risk for unplanned pregnancy, with the worst access. In the last couple years, we've even seen attacks on birth control. As future physicians, I believe it is our responsibility to be scientists in the face of ideology and stand up for the health and rights of our patients and communities.

On this day, I'd like you all to take just a little bit of time to read about the current attacks on reproductive health in the U.S., and the new restrictions that have come into effect even in just the last year. Texas actually defunded Planned Parenthood and Mississippi is on a crusade to make sure the state's last abortion clinic closes its doors as soon as possible. This anniversary post on Mother Jones is a fantastic summary, including great research from the Guttmacher Institute, and here's another post on five states we need to be watching in 2013. In case your interested, here's some up to date Pew Forum polling.

Today, I encourage you all to take action in support of reproductive health and rights:

• Tell your legislators and President Obama how you feel, and visit This is Personal for additional info ways to be involved. 
• Contribute to Not In Her Shoes a tumblr voicing that no one can walk in another woman's shoes but her and no one else can describe her personal experience. 
• Check out the 1 in 3 Campaign, which brings stories and faces to the 1 in 3 women who will have an abortion in her lifetime.
• Get involved with Medical Students for Choice at your school or create a chapter if there isn't one already.
• Consider holding an event on women's health this semester to educate your classmates on this important issue.

Not into reading today? I've got graphics!

Please stand with me in saying we should treat reproductive health care like health care, by respecting women's decisions in the face of their own unique realities. Take a moment today to be thankful that our obstetric wards aren't flooded with self-induced, septic abortions as they were pre-Roe v. Wade, but also to realize that our past may come around to be our future if we don't take action!

By Kathy Wollner
Women's Policy Coordinator, AMSA Gender & Sexuality Committee

This week, buried under chatter about raising the debt ceiling, was some pretty great news for women’s health care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new guidelines that all FDA-approved contraception options must be covered by all new health insurance plans*** without cost-sharing. These guidelines are based on the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations issued this July and will go into effect August 1, 2012.

This means women will be able to get whatever mode of birth control is right for them - oral contraceptive pills, patches, rings, injectables, IUDs - without having to pay co-pays or contribute into their deductibles.

This is huge in assuring that women will no longer be burdened with additional costs when seeking family planning. We know that giving women access to contraception allows them to prevent unintended pregnancies and space their children in a way that’s healthy for both moms and babies. When women have access, they and their partners are able to plan their families in the way that’s best for them. Removing barriers based on cost is a big step in the right direction toward ameliorating health disparities based on income and access.

But wait, there’s more!

Other services to be covered by new health insurance plans without co-pay include well woman visits, HIV testing and counseling, STD counseling (testing is covered under existing guidelines for women under 24 and those at high risk), HPV testing for women over 30, domestic violence screening and counseling, and breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling.

The Obama Administration’s support of evidence-based medicine and commitment to investing in preventive health care will in the end have a major impact on women’s health. No woman should be unable to access these basic health services due to cost. I am beyond excited for myself, my sisters, my friends, and my future patients that we can stop making health care decisions based on what’s covered by insurance and start making them based on what’s best for our health and well-being. Hooray!


*** What exactly does “new health insurance plans” mean? Good question. It essentially means that it won’t go into effect for everyone right away. While many employers stick with the same coverage year to year, there’s pretty much always a re-negotiation of the terms of the plan in some way, which will make it “new.” It’s unclear at this point (to the people who know more than me who I posed this question to and thus to me as well) what this means for individual plans, but in the case of group plans, these new guidelines should catch up to most plans sooner rather than later.

This week the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new guidelines requiring health insurers to cover certain women’s preventative services, including birth control, HPV screenings, breastfeeding support and STD counseling.

The guidelines are based on the recommendations issued by the Institute of Medicine in July. According to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the decision is a part of the Affordable Care Act's move toward prevention. "These historic guidelines are based on science and existing literature and will help ensure women get the preventive health benefits they need."

Many groups oppose the guidelines, citing that many people have moral and religious convictions against contraception. President Obama issued an amendment allowing religious groups who offer insurance coverage to employees the right to choose whether to cover contraception.

"Covering birth control without co-pays is one of the most important steps we can take to prevent unintended pregnancy and keep women and children healthy," said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Supporters believe that covering contraception will helps the government save money by decreasing the number of unintended pregnancies, which accounted for 51 percent of publicly funded births in 2006. By reducing the numbers of unintended pregnancies, the move could save more than $11 billion in medical costs.

Kathy Wollner
Women's Policy Coordinator, AMSA Gender & Sexuality Committee