It’s not hard to tell that reproductive healthcare in the U.S. has faced multiple threats in recent months. As state legislatures embrace President Trump’s attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, the Senate has been advocating for a replacement healthcare bill that could threaten women’s rights across the board.
And yet, Oregon is now taking steps to ensure the state remains on the right side of history.
Earlier this month, Oregon’s Senate passed a measure that would require insurance companies to cover abortions and reproductive services at no cost to patients. Widely known as the “Reproductive Health Equity Act Of 2017,” the bill would mark a wide-sweeping win for the right to abortion care in state law, effectively covering patient services regardless of income, gender identity or citizenship status.
Unlike certain states that allow cost-free abortions if they’re deemed “medically necessary,” Oregon aims to offer patients total access to the procedure, including late-term and sex-selective abortions. Moreover, the bill would require insurers to cover a vast range of prenatal and postnatal services, contraception, vasectomies, reproductive cancer screenings, STI testing and counseling for domestic violence survivors.
That being said, the $10 million bill, also known as House Bill 3391, is slated to protect abortion rights even in the event Roe v. Wade were ever repealed. Now, the measure will head to Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, who is expected to sign the bill.
For the latest updates on reproductive healthcare in the U.S., be sure to check back for more updates from our blog.