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

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.

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  • At the Supreme Court: What’s at Stake for Emergency Abortion Care?

    News Release

    On April 24, the Supreme Court will hear Idaho v. United States—the second case this term involving access to abortion. In a new brief, KFF examines what’s at stake, focusing on whether the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA)—a federal law requiring nearly all hospitals to ensure emergency room patients are stable before they are discharged from hospital care—preempts state abortion laws.  The new brief reviews the background on the case and EMTALA,…

  • Will Insurance Cover Over-the-Counter Contraceptive Pills? A Discussion of Coverage Options and Challenges

    Event Date:
    Event

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved Opill—the first over-the-counter daily oral contraceptive pill in the United States. Beginning in early 2024, people will be able to purchase Opill without a prescription, expanding options for contraceptive access across the country. On September 15, 2023, a panel of experts joined Laurie Sobel, associate director for KFF’s Women’s Health Policy program, to explore approaches to covering over-the-counter oral contraception without a prescription. The panel discussed lessons…

  • Updated Women’s Health State Data: Interactive Dashboard

    News Release

    Interested in keeping up with the most recent state specific women's health data and policies? The newly updated and upgraded KFF State Profiles for Women's Health interactive dashboard offers the latest national and state data and policies women’s health, from health insurance coverage to abortion policy changes. This easy-to-use visual dashboard allows you to explore a broad range of state-level statistics and policies of importance to women including health status, insurance, and Medicaid coverage, use…

  • Some States Are Strengthening Abortion Access and Protections for Clinicians and Out-of-State Residents Seeking Abortions

    News Release

    If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade, the landmark decision that established the right to abortion, then individual states can regulate abortion without any federal requirement to protect abortion access. While about half of the states in the U.S. will move to either ban or highly restrict abortion access for their residents, there is growing momentum in a handful of states to not only protect abortion access for their state residents, but also to…

  • Access to Pregnancy and Parenting Support Services: Women’s Views and Experiences from the 2024 KFF Women’s Health Survey

    Policy Watch

    This analysis, based on findings from the 2024 KFF Women's Health Survey, focuses on women with children ages 5 & under and their perceptions on how easy or difficult they feel it is to access a range of services that are important to the health of women and families, including maternity care, Medicaid coverage, food stamps, contraceptive services, and affordable childcare.

  • Want to Learn About Women’s Health in your State? Check out KFF’s Updated Interactive Dashboard

    News Release

    KFF recently updated its interactive dashboard with national and state data on women’s health, as well as information about various policies that affect women’s health. The dashboard provides instant access the most up-to-date state level indicators of women’s health in the U.S. Many of the indicators also provide national and state-level information for women of different racial and ethnic groups. Dashboard topics include: Abortion availability, coverage, and use by race/ethnicity. Maternal and infant mortality, preterm…

  • Harris v. Trump: Records and Positions on Reproductive Health

    Issue Brief

    This brief summarizes the positions, records, and potential priorities of the two major party candidates for the 2024 Presidential election on three major issues in women’s health policy – abortion, contraception, and maternal health.

  • IVF as an Election and Policy Issue 

    Quick Insights

    While public support for IVF is high, Congress has been unable to agree even on the right to get IVF services. Agreement on coverage and funding seem even more out of reach