Women's Health Policy

ABORTION IN THE U.S.

KFF infographic explaining who regulates mifepristone, showing four entities and their roles: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves and regulates medications for safety and effectiveness; state legislatures pass laws that can restrict or protect access; courts rule on legal cases affecting regulation; and Congress can pass federal legislation influencing regulation.

Louisiana v. FDA: Access to Mifepristone Back at the Supreme Court

Louisiana sued the FDA in October 2025, claiming the FDA’s 2023 regulatory change eliminating the requirement that mifepristone be dispensed in-person—allowing it to be mailed or dispensed at retail pharmacies—harm the state's ability to enforce its abortion ban. This brief reviews the Louisiana v. FDA case now before the Supreme Court, and provides an overview of the other pending litigation involving mifepristone, as well as the mounting tension between states seeking to protect abortion and those banning the provision of abortion.

CONTRACEPTIve care IN THE U.S.

New and noteworthy

Over-the-Counter Oral Contraceptive Pills

In July 2023, the FDA approved Opill, the first daily oral contraceptive pill to become available over the counter (OTC) without a doctor’s prescription. This issue brief provides an overview of OTC oral contraceptives and laws and policies related to insurance coverage.

featured

A promotional image for the the KFF Health Policy 101 Issues in Women’s Health chapter

Health Policy Issues in Women’s Health

Examine the core health coverage and access issues —shaped by federal and state policies—that affect women’s health today, including health coverage and costs, reproductive health services, maternal health, mental health, and intimate partner violence.

State Profiles for Women’s Health

Explore the latest national and state-specific data and policies on women’s health. Topics include health status, insurance and Medicaid coverage, use of preventive services, sexual health, maternal and infant health, and abortion policies. Many indicators provide state-level information for women of different racial and ethnic groups.

The essentials
  • Women’s Health Insurance Coverage

    This factsheet reviews major sources of coverage for women residing in the U.S., discusses the ACA's impact on coverage, and the coverage challenges that many women continue to face.
  • Medicaid Coverage for Women

    This data note presents key data points describing the current state of the Medicaid program as it affects women, including eligibility, reproductive health, chronic conditions, and more.
  • Dobbs: What are the Implications for Racial Disparities?

    This analysis examines the implications of the Dobbs decision and state restrictions on abortion coverage for racial disparities in access to care and health outcomes.
  • State Health Facts: Women's Health Indicators

    Information on women’s health status, utilization of services, health insurance coverage, family planning and childbirth, and abortion statistics and policies.
  • Key Facts on Abortion in the United States

    This report answers some key questions about abortion in the United States and presents data collected before the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

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  • LGBT+ People’s Health Status and Access to Care

    Issue Brief

    This report, based on a nationally representative 2022 KFF survey, provides an analysis of the health experiences of self-identified LGBT+ adults in the U.S. compared to their non-LGBT+ counterparts.

  • 2022 State Ballot Initiatives on Abortion Rights

    Policy Watch

    Four states (CA, MI, VT, and KY) will vote on ballot measures related to abortion rights in the November 2022 elections. This policy watch summarizes each of these ballot measures and their implications.

  • New Regulations Broadening Employer Exemptions to Contraceptive Coverage: Impact on Women

    Issue Brief

    This brief explains the contraceptive coverage rule under the ACA, the impact it has had on coverage, and how the new regulations issued by the Trump administration have changed the contraceptive coverage requirement for employers with religious and moral objections to contraception and the women who receive coverage through their plans.

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll – June 2017: Women’s Health

    Feature

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires employers to cover the full cost of prescription birth control as part of their health insurance plans. The June Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that a majority of the public support the requirement for private health insurance plans to cover the full cost of birth control. This includes a majority of Democrats, independents, and Republicans.

  • New Brief Highlights Disparities in Fertility Services Driven by Cost and Gaps in Coverage

    News Release

    A new KFF brief provides a comprehensive overview of the coverage and use of fertility services in the United States, highlighting cost and insurance coverage gaps as key barriers faced by low-income people, Black and Hispanic people, LGBTQ individuals, infertile couples and single individuals seeking these services. The coronavirus pandemic has worsened the availability of medical services and the financial situations of many Americans. Utilization of fertility services has declined, and medical professional societies issued…

  • New Survey Documents Women’s Health Care, Coverage and Early Experiences with the Affordable Care Act

    News Release

    A comprehensive survey released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation provides a snapshot of women and their health coverage and care during a time of transition as important Affordable Care Act insurance market changes began to take root.   These include many changes that affect women including a prohibition on using gender in setting premiums, as well as broadening access to a more comprehensive range of preventive services benefits without cost sharing. The Kaiser Women’s Health…

  • The Role of Health Care in the New Presidential Election

    From Drew Altman

    In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman describes the role of health care in the new presidential election with Vice President Harris facing former President Donald Trump. He discusses how health will likely be a consequential factor in the campaign, with abortion and reproductive rights, along with health care costs, taking center stage.

  • Unraveling the Mysteries of Biden vs. Trump on Health Care

    From Drew Altman

    In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman unravels the differences between Trump and Biden on Medicare, abortion, drug costs and other health-related issues that KFF's new side-by-side candidate analysis examines. From the bird’s eye view, these differences amount to a fork in the road in direction on the role of the federal government in health and federal health spending.