Supreme Court allows bosses to deny birth control coverage for their employees

Statement by Julie Rabinovitz, President + CEO of Essential Access Health

“Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision is a devastating blow to women across the nation who have benefited from the Affordable Care Act’s birth control mandate.

 “Women rely on birth control to achieve optimal health outcomes and their educational and career goals. Access to contraception allows women to significantly increase their earning power and has narrowed the pay gap by as much as 30 percent over the past three decades.

 “We cannot allow a separate and unequal system that grants some women the right to access the contraceptive method of their choice, while others are denied because of their employer’s personal beliefs.

“Despite today’s ruling, issues surrounding birth control have long been settled in the court of public opinion. In California, an overwhelming majority of voters believe it’s important for women to have access to the type of contraception that works best for them. Support for access to birth control is consistent across all key demographics, including gender, age, region, and religious and political party affiliation.

“We will continue to fight to ensure that everyone – regardless of where they work or what they believe – can get the care they need to reduce their risk for unintended pregnancy, without interference from their boss or the federal government.”

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Essential Access Health (Essential Access) champions and promotes quality sexual and reproductive health care for all. Essential Access achieves its mission through an umbrella of programs and services, including health center support initiatives, provider training, advanced clinical research, public policy and outreach, and awareness campaigns. As the administrator of the nation’s largest Title X system in the country, Essential Access partners with a robust provider network that collectively served more than 600,000 low-income Californians in 2019.