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 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.

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.

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.

Stay informed.

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451 - 460 of 875 Results

  • Final Title X Regulation Changes, Implications and What’s Ahead

    News Release

    On Monday, March 4, 2019, the Trump Administration published final regulations for the federal Title X family planning program that could dramatically reshape the safety-net program.  Some of the major changes in the new regulations focus on disqualifying providers who offer abortion services from the Title X program and banning participating providers from referring patients to others who can provide abortions. Clinics that have been offering women reproductive health care with the support of Title…

  • New Title X Regulations: Implications for Women and Family Planning Providers

    Issue Brief

    This brief reviews the Trump Administration’s new final Title X family planning regulations, compares them to the current program rules and discusses the implications of these changes for low-income women seeking family planning services and the providers that have been serving them with Title X support

  • How State Policies Limiting Abortion Coverage Changed Over Time

    Feature

    This week, the Trump administration proposed new rules around abortion coverage in the ACA Marketplace plans. Here’s how state policies shaping access to abortion coverage in Medicaid and private insurance have changed before and after the passage of the health law.

  • Abortion Coverage in the ACA Marketplace Plans: The Impact of Proposed Rules for Consumers, Insurers and Regulators

    Issue Brief

    On November 7, 2018, a day after the 2018 midterm elections, the Trump Administration issued a proposed regulation to address “Exchange Program Integrity.” A major element of this proposed rule would affect insurers, consumers, and state insurance regulators in the states that either allow or require abortion coverage. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) allows states to ban plans from offering abortion as a benefit on their Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) and requires plans that cover…

  • Proposed Changes to Title X: Implications for Women and Family Planning Providers

    Issue Brief

    The Trump Administration has taken numerous steps to significantly alter the Title X program, the federal grant program that supports family planning services to low-income women. This brief provides an overview of the Title X program, discusses the new 2018 funding announcement and related litigation, and reviews the Trump Administration’s proposed regulations and the implications of these changes.

  • 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.

  • Web Briefing for Journalists – Reproductive Health in the Trump Era: Implications of Recent Federal and Judicial Action

    Event Date:
    Event

    The day after the midterm elections, the Trump Administration moved forward with anticipated regulatory changes governing employer exemption from the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraceptive coverage mandate based on religious or moral objections. That same day, a proposed rule was issued changing how health plans in states that do not ban abortion coverage from their ACA Marketplace plans must separately bill and collect payments for that coverage. The Trump Administration has also proposed changes to…

  • Views and Experiences Related to Women’s Health in Texas

    Report

    Using data from the Kaiser Family Foundation/Episcopal Health Foundation 2018 Texas Health Policy Survey, this brief explores how Texas women and men rank legislative priorities in the state, including health care issues of importance to women such as reducing maternal mortality and increasing access to reproductive services. It also compares gender differences in the share of Texas residents who report problems paying medical bills and postponing health care because of the cost.