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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661 - 670 of 875 Results

  • Abortion at SCOTUS: Potential Cases this Term and Possible Rulings

    News Release

    A new KFF issue brief examines the implications of a Supreme Court with a solid conservative majority. Two abortion cases have pending requests for Supreme Court review: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and FDA v. ACOG. If the Court chooses to take these cases, abortion laws and who can legally challenge them could be affected in major ways, including: The option for doctors and clinics to challenge laws regulating abortion on behalf of their…

  • Joe Biden’s Big Lead on Health Care Issues

    From Drew Altman

    In an Axios column, Drew Altman discusses how this election year health isn’t a single issue -- but several -- and Joe Biden has the edge over President Trump on all of them, even as opposition to the ACA remains popular with Trump’s base.  

  • Potential Impacts of Delaying “Non-Essential” Reproductive Health Care

    Issue Brief

    This brief analyzes how states, health systems and providers have been faced with deciding what health care is “essential” verses “elective” during the COVID-19 crisis, and what the possible consequences are to delays in "non-essential" reproductive health care.

  • Women’s Health on the Ballot

    Issue Brief

    Voters in three states will decide on four ballot measures in November that could play a significant role in shaping policies and programs that impact women’s health, including abortion, sex education, and paid leave. This brief examines the initiatives and their potential effects.

  • All Eyes on the Supreme Court: More than Birth Control at Stake

    Issue Brief

    On March 25th, the Supreme Court will hear two cases brought by for-profit corporations challenging the ACA’s contraceptive coverage rule on religious grounds. These two corporations are Hobby Lobby, a national chain of craft stores owned by a Christian family and Conestoga Wood Specialties, a cabinet manufacturer, owned by a Mennonite family. Beyond the impact on the ACA and contraceptive coverage, the Court’s decision may have implications for religious rights of employers and employees, as…

  • A Guide to the Supreme Court’s Review of the Contraceptive Coverage Requirement

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief dissects the issues raised by the legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that private insurance plans include contraception as part of their coverage of preventive services for women. Over 40 for-profit corporations and over 40 nonprofit corporations have filed lawsuits claiming that the requirement to provide their employees with contraceptives violates their religious rights. On November 26, 2013, the Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases filed by for-profit corporations,…

  • Interactive Map Shows Recent Evolution of State Policies Shaping Access to Abortion Coverage in Medicaid and Private Insurance

    News Release

    A new interactive map from the Kaiser Family Foundation provides a broad look at states’ laws shaping access to coverage for abortion in Medicaid and private insurance. The map includes the ability to view snapshots showing the extent of such limitations in states across the nation for the years 2000, 2010 and 2014. Taken together, the maps chart the increase in such limitations over that time period. State and federal attempts to limit private insurance…

  • Infographic: How Does Where You Work Affect Your Contraceptive Coverage?

    News Release

    The Affordable Care Act’s requirement that most private health insurance plans provide contraceptive coverage has been the focus of ongoing litigation in the federal courts. In response to recent Supreme Court actions in the Hobby Lobby and College of Wheaton cases, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued an interim final rule and a proposed rule on August 22, 2014 addressing how some employers with religious objections to birth control can comply with…