Women’s Health Policy

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, many states will quickly move to restrict or ban abortions. People seeking an abortion who live in those states may be able to access medication abortion via telehealth if their state does not restrict it and if they are within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Most people will need to take time off work to care for themselves or their families at some point, but only one in five (21%) workers have access to paid family leave through their employer. Congress is considering creating a universal paid family and medical leave program as part of the Build Back Better Act.

To qualify for federal grants to address violence against women, states are required to ensure that rape kits, or Medical Forensic Exams (MFE), are provided at no-cost to survivors. However, there are often gaps in coverage for health care services that are outside of the MFE.

Starting April 1, states have a new option to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months without having to seek a waiver.

Due to systemic and overt discrimination, Black people are disproportionately affected by high maternal and infant morbidities and mortality. In addition to legislation, addressing systemic discrimination, implicit bias and racism will be integral to achieving equity in maternal health outcomes.

In 2020, Medicaid covered 16% of nonelderly adult women in the United States, but coverage rates were higher among certain groups.