Women's Health Policy

ABORTION IN THE U.S.

Variability in Rebimbursement Rates for State-funded Abortion Services for Medicaid Enrollees: A 2026 Update

This analysis reveals that while more states have begun using their own funds to cover abortion services for Medicaid enrollees since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, only a handful have significantly increased reimbursement rates for providers, potentially undermining access to care for low-income patients. After examining physician fee schedules for abortions provided to Medicaid enrollees since 2024, KFF finds that reimbursement rates vary dramatically across states, and that most states don't substantially increase payment rates for later-pregnancy procedures, despite their higher costs and complexity.

CONTRACEPTIve care IN THE U.S.

An Update on Medicaid, Title X and Planned Parenthood

This brief provides an update on Planned Parenthood clinic closures and participation in the Title X program amid substantial policy changes resulting in funding reductions. These changes include the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the withholding of federal Title X funding to Planned Parenthood clinics.

SELECTED RESOURCES

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.

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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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  • Abortion Coverage in the Premium Relief Act of 2017 (HR 4666)

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief reviews current federal and state policies on private insurance coverage of abortion services, and how the Premium Relief Act of 2017 would affect abortion coverage for women enrolled in the individual market and some small group plans.

  • State and Federal Contraceptive Coverage Requirements: Implications for Women and Employers

    Issue Brief

    Before the ACA was passed, many states had enacted contraceptive equity laws that required plans to treat contraceptives in the same way they covered other services. In addition, since the ACA was passed, a number of states have enacted laws that basically codify in state legislation the ACA benefit rules. This issue brief provides an update on the status of the continuing litigation on the federal contraceptive requirement and explains the interplay between the federal…

  • One Year Since Dobbs: The Landscape of Abortion Policies Across the US  

    News Release

    There has been intense focus on abortion policies across the United States since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on June 24, 2022. That decision overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating federal constitutional protections for abortion and putting the decision to restrict or protect abortion with the states.  Now, nearly one year later, what is the status of federal and state developments? Where is abortion banned? Where is litigation pending? And…

  • Access to Care and Use of Health Services by Low-Income Women

    Issue Brief

    This article, by Ruth Almeida and Lisa Dubay of the Urban Institute and Grace Ko of Brown University, examines the effect of insurance on low-income women's access to care and use of health services. Using the 1997 National Survey of America's Families, it examines access to health care for three groups of low-income women: those with Medicaid, those with private coverage, and those with no insurance. Uninsured low-income women were found to have experienced greater…

  • Access to Care for Low-Income Women: The Impact of Medicaid

    Issue Brief

    Health coverage is of critical importance to low-income women. This study was undertaken to assess how low-income women with Medicaid, private insurance, or no insurance vary with regard to personal characteristics, health status, and health utilization. Data are from a telephone interview survey of a representative cross-sectional sample of 5,200 low-income women in Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas. On the whole, low-income women were found to experience considerable barriers to care; however, uninsured low-income…

  • Women at Risk: A View from the Safety Net

    Video

    This video provides a snapshot of the Arlington (Va.) Free Clinic where, four times a month, medical personnel provide care and screenings exclusively to women. The video explores the hurdles that uninsured women face in accessing health care and the social issues, including work and family responsibilities, that create challenges for them. It is a companion to the report, “Putting Women’s Health Care Disparities On The Map: Examining Racial and Ethnic Disparities at the State…

  • Examining Racial and Ethnic Disparities Among Women at the State Level

    Event Date:
    Event

    A decade after U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher called for the elimination of racial disparities in health, women of color in every state continue to fare worse than white women on a variety of measures of health and health care access. The Foundation has created a package of resources, including a comprehensive report, state fact sheets, and interactive data tables, that illuminate and document the persistence of disparities on 25 indicators between white women and…

  • It’s Your (Sex) Life:  Your Guide to Safe and Responsible Sex

    Other Post

    Contraception 911 If a condom breaks, a diaphragm slips, or you realize after having sex that you forgot to take the pill for three days in a row, it can be enough to make the calmest person very upset! Fortunately, there is something you can do. If you act within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse, two doses of a special combination of birth control pills, available by prescription, can prevent or delay ovulation and reduce…

  • Health Care and the 2004 Elections

    Other Post

    ** Update: For information on health care and the 2008 election, visit www.health08.org. ** Health care issues continue to be important for many Americans and a vital part of the policy debates in Washington and around the country. During an election season, candidates propose and debate their solutions for the pressing policy issues facing their constituents. The 2004 election season is no different and the Kaiser Family Foundation is issuing informational materials on some of…