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.

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541 - 550 of 875 Results

  • 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…

  • 1 Year Later: Medical Abortion After FDA Approval

    Report

    On September 28, 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mifepristone (RU486), the first dedicated medical abortion pill regimen. Many advocates on both sides of the abortion debate predicted that arrival of this new option would transform the abortion landscape - for women, for doctors, and for politicians. So, a year later, where are we? Chart Pack

  • 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…

  • Women’s Health Quiz: Health Coverage and the Affordable Care Act

    Feature

    Health insurance coverage is a critical factor in making health care accessible to women—women with health coverage are more likely to obtain needed preventive, primary, and specialty care services. Test your knowledge of women’s health coverage and the effect of the Affordable Care Act on women with our ten-question quiz.

  • Making the Most of Medicaid: Promoting the Health of Women and Infants With Preconception Care

    Report

    This article examines the evolution and current role of Medicaid in improving access to preconception care for low-income women. It reviews Medicaid's eligibility policy and benefits of relevance to women of reproductive age, and discusses challenges facing the program. Authors Alina Salganicoff, vice president and director of women's health policy for the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Jane An, a research assistant at the Foundation, also examine potential opportunities to use the Medicaid program to promote…

  • Toplines/Survey: HTML format

    Other Post

    Kaiser Family Foundation Survey on Teens and Sex: What They Say Teens Today Need to Know, And Who They Listen To Final Topline: Teenager Interview June 24, 1996 Conducted for The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundationby Princeton Survey Research Associates Number of Interviews: 1,510 teenagers age 12-18 Margin of Error: plus or minus 3 percentage points Dates of Interviewing: March 28 - May 5, 1996 Introduction: Hello, my name is __________ and I'm calling for…

  • 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 Insurance Coverage of Women, State Estimates

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet, Health Insurance Coverage of Women, provides state-by-state data on the uninsured rate, as well as rates of private insurance coverage and Medicaid coverage, among women nationally, in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

  • Women’s Health Access:  The Role of Income and Race/Ethnicity

    Issue Brief

    2001 Kaiser Women's Health Survey and Issue Briefs The Kaiser Women's Health Survey was designed to better understand how the health system is working for women, in terms of health coverage, access to services, and in meeting their health needs. The survey also highlights the special challenges facing different groups of women, including women of color, those who are low-income, and those who are uninsured. This nationally representative telephone survey was administered to 3,966 women…