NEWS RELEASE
July 5, 2017
Senate sends Reproductive Health Equity Act to governor
HB 3391 fills critical gaps in reproductive health care
SALEM
– All Oregonians should have access to
the health care services they need, and the Oregon Senate supported that notion
today by passing the Reproductive Health Equity Act.
House
Bill 3391 will close gaps to reproductive health care services for all
Oregonians. The services that are covered include birth control, sexually
transmitted infection screenings, certain cancer screenings, vasectomies,
abortion and post-partum care. The bill identifies contraceptive and preventive
services are to be offered at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. Services
will be available regardless of income, citizenship status, gender identity or
type of insurance.
“This
bill is about health care, and these are all services to meet the health care
needs of Oregonians,” said Sen. Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin), who carried the
bill in the Senate. “This is a $10 million investment that will save us a lot down
the road. Unintended pregnancies can lead to greater social service costs down
the line. Lack of preventive care for sexually transmitted infections,
pregnancy and other things leads to costly treatments later. This is a
common-sense public health bill that makes fiscal sense.”
The
bill sets aside $6 million to pay for family planning services and $3 million
for post-partum care. It also directs all remaining pre-Affordable Care Act
health plans to cover contraceptives without copayments and ensures that
transgender individuals can receive routine screenings. The bulk of the funding
will go toward contraception. The bill will expand access to no-cost contraception
for 18,600 women in Oregon who lack that benefit.
“This
bill is about equity and empowering people to decide whether and when to become
a parent,” said Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (D-Beaverton), who works as a
physician. “By providing the full range of reproductive health care – including
contraception, abortion and cancer prevention – we can reduce the number of
unintended pregnancies, improve women’s health and increase women’s ability to
be economically self-sufficient.”
Increasing
access to contraception and pregnancy services in Oregon has been paying off by
reducing unintended pregnancies. The state’s abortion rate is nearly half what
it was in recent decades, dropping from 15,700 in 1980 to 8,600 in 2015. During
that time, the state has grown from 2.6 million people to 4 million. At the
same time, the teen pregnancy rates have dropped significantly, though they
still are high compared to many other states.
The
Reproductive Health Equity Act will require the Oregon Health Authority to
implement a program to reimburse the costs of reproductive health services to
individuals who would be eligible for medical assistance if not for their
immigration status. This program also includes coverage for 60 days of
post-partum care, providing access to critical care to the 48,000 Oregonians
who have coverage for labor and delivery, but who lose that coverage
immediately after giving birth.
Sen.
Laurie Monnes Anderson (D-Gresham) is a career public health nurse. She says
that for every dollar in public spending on reproductive health and family
planning services, states save $7 in Medicaid costs for pregnancy, labor and
delivery and other health care.
“As
a public health nurse, I have worked with the very poor and many at-risk
pregnant women,” she said. “I have seen the difference between what a poor
woman can get and one that has financial means to get birth control and health
services. I have seen that poverty is a restriction. I have seen access as a
restriction. Unintended pregnancies
can perpetuate cycles of poverty, and we can help stop it. It is a woman’s
right to choose when and if she is ready in her life to have a child.”
House
Bill 3391 now goes to Gov. Kate Brown for her signature.
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Contact: Rick Osborn, Communications Director
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1074
Email: rick.osborn@oregonlegislature.gov
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-223, Salem, Oregon 97301
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