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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  • Health Coverage and Expenses: Impact on Older Women’s Economic Well-Being

    Issue Brief

    In this article in the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy, researchers from the Kaiser Family Foundation examine how health issues that women face over the course of their lives, as well as policies that shape Medicare, Medicaid and other supplemental coverage, can affect retired women's economic well-being. They found that women's health care expenses were higher than men's; that older women paid for a greater share of their total spending out of pocket and that…

  • Analysis: Opportunities Under the ACA for Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Among Women With HIV

    News Release

    An estimated 36 percent of women in the U.S. report having experienced intimate partner violence (IPV), also called domestic violence, but among HIV positive women 55 percent report such experiences. A new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis looks at opportunities to address IPV in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that could help women who are HIV positive or at risk for HIV. The analysis, HIV, Intimate Partner Violence and Women: New Opportunities Under the Affordable Care Act, looks…

  • State Medicaid Coverage of Perinatal Services: Summary of State Survey Findings

    Report

    The report examines state Medicaid program policies regarding coverage of pregnancy-related services. It details state-level Medicaid eligibility and enrollment policies for pregnant women, as well as scope of coverage for prenatal and screening services, delivery and post-partum care, educational classes and support services.

  • Poll Finds Most Americans Oppose the Trump Administration’s Changes to Restrict Title X Family Planning Funds from Clinics that also Provide or Refer for Abortion

    News Release

    A new KFF poll of the public’s views on reproductive health issues finds most Americans, including majorities of women of reproductive age, are concerned that access to women’s reproductive health and preventive care services may be limited by the Trump administration’s changes to Title X, the nation’s federal family planning program. The poll examines the public’s views of major regulatory changes to the Title X program, which funds nearly 4,000 clinics nationally to pay for…

  • Today’s Topics In Health Disparities: HHS’ Action Plan to Reduce Health Disparities

    Event Date:
    Event

    Today's Topics in Health Disparities webcast examined the new Department of Health and Human Services’ Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. The program addressed the contents of the strategy and its timeline for implementation as well as its implications for providers. The panelists also discussed how the new strategy relates to other recently released HHS strategies including the National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care, the National Prevention and Health Promotion…

  • National Survey Results on Public Knowledge/Opinions and OB/GYN Practice/Attitudes on Emergency Contraceptives (“Morning-After Pills”)

    Other Post

    Two New Surveys of American Public and Physicians: American Women Are Misinformed About Emergency Contraceptive Option; Once Explained, Many Say Would Be Likely to Use --Ethical and Safety Concerns Not Major Factors In Stated Likelihood to Use "Morning-After" Pills -- OB/GYNS Consider "Morning-After" Pills to be Safe and Effective; While Most Have Prescribed Within LastYear, Only to Handful of Patients -- Most Physicians Who Do Not Perform Abortions State No "Objections or Concerns" Prescribing Emergency…