Women preventive care, including birth control, is a basic healthcare. Prior the health care law, a significant number of Americans did not have access to affordable preventive care. However, before such beneficial policies are effective, they are a subjective of the political divide. For example, Altman Anna of the New York Times magazine reports that Republicans oppose the government's move to offer free contraceptives stating the various advantages for over-the-counter medication. For example, they argue that it is convenient because it saves time and money to the user. Additionally, it reduces unnecessary medical appointment and fewer missed work days, especially to rural workers, such as miners, where “doctors are not ready available” (Altman, 2014).
The above argument by the republicans contradicts in various aspects. First, over-the-counter medications are not convenient in the long-run. For example, not all families or women budget for over-the-counter medications. As a result, they use money for other purposes to purchase the medication. Therefore, free contraceptives by the government, either through insurance or employers’ health care plan, enable women and family to effectively budget the expenses. Additionally, through doctor’s appointment, women access to information that is not available through over-the-counter prescriptions. As a result, physicians assist women in making informed decisions (Planned Parenthood, n. d.).
Finally, even though a significant number of women between the age of 15 and 44 use contraceptives, most believe that health care plans should cover birth control. The above is not only a belief but also true under the Affordable Care Act. The regulation provides that women’s preventive care services, such as screening services for cancer and mammograms, should be at no cost sharing for some health care plans. Additionally, it recommends free preventive services for people on Medicaid. As a result, it recognizes the need for free preventive health care for women (HHS, 2013).
2 comments:
Hey, Stephanie!
I've read your article
and I think it is very interesting topic! :)
http://dbsl0356.blogspot.com/
Stephanie, I most definitely agree with you that contraception and access to contraception are a very important parts of women's health and certainly fall into the category of preventative care that has long been toted as the pinnacle of maintaining good health. Having worked for a Catholic institution (a hospital) for 5 years, this is the first time I've had free access to both my gynecologist and birth control--even though this medication is medically necessary for my health. I was very pleased when I first learned about the contraceptive mandate of the Affordable Care Act, which dictated that employers are required to cover some contraception costs in their health insurance plans. Back in 2000, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that employers who provided health insurance for prescription drugs who did not cover birth control were violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It only took 11 years (when contraception was added to the list of preventative services covered by the ACA) for contraception to be easily accessible to all American women. Although "Obama Care" has a lot of controversy, the idea is that all citizens have equal access to healthcare, a fundamental right.
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