The Massachusetts House and Senate last Tuesday both passed the ACCESS bill that guarantees women access to preventive healthcare, including contraception coverage, without co-pays. The bill now awaits Governor Baker’s signature.
Efforts at the federal level to limit access to contraceptives spurred action on the bill at the state level. MHA was a supporter of the legislation, offering testimony earlier this year that stated: “With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), American women have experienced the single biggest advancement in healthcare access in a generation. Right now, more than 55 million women in the United States, including 1.4 million women in Massachusetts, have access to preventive services with zero cost sharing. This vital access is under serious threat on the federal level. [The state bill] would protect and expand access to contraceptives by requiring insurers in Massachusetts to cover all FDA-approved contraceptive methods without cost-sharing, including coverage of over-the-counter contraceptives without a prescription.”