Womenstake

Educational Equity and Reproductive Justice: Latina Week of Action

by Micole Allekotte, Health Fellow,
National Women's Law Center

This post is the second in a series about the intersections between reproductive justice and other social justice movements.

This week is Latina Week of Action for Reproductive Justice, organized by the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, and the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights. The groups are coordinating their efforts to enhance the voice of the Latina reproductive justice movement.

The reproductive justice movement supports individuals' rights to have the children they want, raise the children they have, and plan their families through education and access to contraception and abortion. Reproductive justice can only be achieved when all people have the resources, as well as the economic, social, and political power to make decisions about their relationships, health, and reproduction, so fighting for reproductive justice requires fighting for social justice.

Rising to Protect Abortion Care for the Most Vulnerable Women

by Judy Waxman, Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights, 
National Women's Law Center

Recently, we told you about how the Administration indicated the intention to apply an abortion coverage ban (or what is in effect the rejected Stupak Amendment) to the newly unveiled pre-existing condition health insurance plans. This ban would prevent women with serious pre-existing medical conditions from getting the abortion coverage they need to protect their health—and will not even allow women the ability to pay for such coverage with their own private premium dollars.

Over 5,000 NWLC supporters took action and called on the Administration to reconsider the decision to exclude the abortion coverage ban in the pre-existing condition health insurance plans. The strong reaction from women's advocates brought great attention to the issue, with prominent articles in national newspapers.

Thank you for your incredible participation and making sure the Administration knows how important including abortion care coverage is in health care reform. We will soon be asking you to send in your comments on the regulation.

In the meantime, NWLC will continue to work to keep you informed about the latest on health care reform that meets the needs of women and their families. And we will continue to work hard to ensure that all women have access to comprehensive reproductive health that includes abortion care.

None of Your Business: Bus Driver Refuses to Bring Women to Planned Parenthood

by Micole Allekotte, Health Fellow,
National Women's Law Center

A bus driver in Texas is suing after a transportation company allegedly fired him for refusing to take women to a Planned Parenthood clinic. He claims that the employer must accommodate his religious beliefs against abortion by allowing him to refuse to do his job, which was to take people who live in rural areas to their destinations. Not to pass judgment on the moral acceptability of that destination and impede women's access to a public transportation service because he thinks they are being bad girls. It is none of a bus driver's business where his passengers are going or why. 

The bus company argues that accommodating the driver's refusal to pick up the women would have been an undue hardship on their business, the sole purpose of which is to deliver people to their destinations. While there are many unanswered questions about whether an accommodation would have been possible, the driver didn't give his employers much of a chance, having apparently stated his objection only after being assigned to pick up the passengers.

Friday Night Lights: The Discussion Continues

by Stephanie Drahan, Outreach Associate
National Women's Law Center

Last week, I blogged about the incredible Friday Night Lights episode depicting a teenage girl’s decision to have an abortion, and I expressed my concern that this storyline might disappear. Well, this week's FNL put this concern to rest.

In last week's episode, Tami Taylor, the football coach's wife and principal of the high school featured in FNL, counseled Becky, a pregnant sophomore at a neighboring high school. This week, FNL did not duck away, but instead, took the debate head on again.

In this episode, Luke's mother demands Tami be fired for "instructing" Becky to have an abortion. As a result, Tami faces an investigation by the school board. Tami's response to the accusation throughout the episode is that she counseled according to protocol and district policy. Although the school board ultimately sides with Tami (with a 5-1 vote), through this episode viewers witness how the anti-choice movement portrays abortion.

What Health Reform Means for Access to Abortion

by Micole Allekotte, Health Fellow,
and and Zoe Bartholomay, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

Under the new health reform law, the Affordable Care Act, it will become more difficult, and in some cases impossible, to obtain insurance that covers abortion. 

Under the Affordable Care Act, private insurance companies are allowed to cover abortion. However, if a company covers abortions beyond the Hyde Amendment, which allows federal funding for abortions to save the woman's life or where the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest, the company must not only segregate government funds from private premiums, it must also collect two payments from individual consumers and segregate the private premium money into two accounts. The effect? Higher administrative costs for insurance companies that want to cover abortion (even if they only want to cover abortions to protect the woman's health) and higher costs for consumers. This additional administrative hurdle is a disincentive put in place to discourage abortion coverage from being offered.

Stupak Amendment Lives

by Judy Waxman, Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights, 
National Women's Law Center

You are not having a moment of déjà vu. This is real. This is actually happening.

Tell the Administration to reconsider the harmful decision to undermine women’s reproductive health.

Earlier this year, women around the country stood up and spoke out against the Stupak Amendment, which would have prohibited women from obtaining coverage of abortion care, even with their own, private funds.

But recently, the Administration has indicated the intention to apply what is in effect the rejected Stupak Amendment to the newly unveiled pre-existing condition health insurance plans. This ban will prevent women with serious pre-existing medical conditions from getting the abortion coverage they need to protect their health — and will not even allow women the ability to pay for such coverage with their own private premium dollars.

Tell the Administration to reconsider this decision and stand up for the health of these vulnerable women.

My Favorite Things

by Stephanie Drahan, Outreach Associate
National Women's Law Center

Pop culture, sports and reproductive rights.

So imagine my delight, when assigned to watch the most recent episode of Friday Night Lights which deals with the prickly topic of abortion. I had first heard about this episode back in February when it debuted on DirecTV and overwhelmingly my pro-choice colleagues and friends raved about the way the show had handled this complex, often swept-under-the-rug-on-tv issue.

As many have noted in recent years, coverage of teen sexuality, and as a result teen pregnancy, has become more mainstream, both in pop culture (see:Jamie Lynn Spears and Bristol Palin) and also in teen television shows and movies (see: The Secret Life of The American Teenager, Glee, Juno, and Knocked Up). While in many ways, I do think it is refreshing to see a more accurate representation of what is actually happening in high schools across the nation, oftentimes the discussion surrounding teen pregnancy is woefully incomplete, with discussion of abortion either non-existent or an afterthought. FNL's depiction of teen pregnancy and ALL of the options, on the other hand, was understated, nuanced, non-partisan and heartfelt.

Health Reform and Reproductive Health: What Does Three Months Mean to You?

by Grace Lesser, Program Assistant,
National Women's Law Center

Health reform passed over three months ago. Can you believe it? Three months is a full trimester of a pregnancy, almost an entire semester of school, the difference between a city covered in snow and one teeming with humidity. And you may be wondering why you should still celebrate health reform. You may be unsure when you will even feel its effects. Well, I am here to tell you that if you care about your reproductive health, there are many reasons to look to health reform. 

Let's take the seven in 10 women of reproductive age who are sexually active and do not want to become pregnant. Through the expansion of Medicaid coverage for family planning, millions of women will gain access to family planning services and supplies that they never had before. Furthermore, prescription contraceptives may (and should) be included in the set of free preventive health services provided by all new health plans.

And when women do choose to become pregnant, thanks be to health reform that maternity and newborn care will now be considered "essential health benefits" in all new health plans sold to individuals and small groups. That's right, the basic maternity services that 85 percent of women need by the time they turn 44 are now actually considered essential—and will be covered by insurance. What’s more, women on Medicaid can count on their health plan to cover the costs of childbirth at freestanding birth centers.

Though it cannot be ignored that health reform places unnecessary burdens on individuals by treating abortion care as different from all other reproductive health services, the law does do a great deal to support and bolster women’s reproductive health. Check out our new factsheet to learn more—and remember, a lot can happen the span of three months, and there is also much to look forward to.

Setting the Stage for Future Advocates: the NWLC/LSRJ Training

by Mara Gandal-Powers, Intern,
and Jocelyn Moore, Intern,
National Women's Law Center

On June 11, 2010 the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) and Law Students for Reproductive Justice (LSRJ) co-sponsored a reproductive law and policy training in Washington, D.C. Sixty people attended, representing 27 different law schools and 28 different organizations.

The event was a unique opportunity for attendees to tap into NWLC’s and LSRJ’s wealth of knowledge. Mariko Miki from LSRJ provided participants with a background of LSRJ and offered support for students interested in starting or reinvigorating a chapter at their law school. Judy Waxman, Vice President of Health and Reproductive Rights at NWLC, and Beth Sousa, Senior Counsel at NWLC, explained how health care reform affects women’s access to health care, particularly abortion. It was inspiring to hear about the benefits women can expect from health reform, and that despite some setbacks, no one has given up on keeping abortion coverage in health insurance benefit plans.

Good News! Attacks on Women’s Health Halted in Florida

by Aimee Ghosh, Intern
National Women’s Law Center

Good news from Florida! Last Friday Governor Charlie Crist vetoed harmful anti-choice legislation that would have taken a devastating toll on women’s access to health care in Florida.

This bill (H.B. 1143) would have forced a woman seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound, even when medically unnecessary, and to listen to a description of the fetus. Additionally, it would have restricted women’s ability to purchase comprehensive health coverage by prohibiting certain private plans from covering abortion.

We asked you to tell Governor Crist to stop the attack on women’s health in Florida and fortunately, he heeded your phone calls and letters and vetoed this dangerous bill. Thank you to the people of Florida for taking action to keep politics out of women’s health care!