New Jersey Voters Support Public Funding for Low-Income Women's Reproductive Health
For Immediate Release: June 14, 2017
For Immediate Release: June 14, 2017
Contact: Casey Olesko- [email protected], 201.647.5502
NEW JERSEY VOTERS SUPPORT PUBLIC FUNDING FOR LOW-INCOME WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
TRENTON, NJ – As New Jersey elected officials are gathering the votes needed to restore family planning funding in New Jersey, which has been eliminated in the state since 2010, a new poll shows a large majority of New Jersey registered voters support providing reproductive health services for low-income women. According to polling data released today by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute and the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers, 78 percent of New Jersey voters support state funding for family planning services, and 84 percent believe Medicaid should continue reimbursing Planned Parenthood for reproductive health and preventive care services.
More than 9 in 10 voters – including 8 in 10 Republicans – also say it is “very” (85 percent overall, 63 percent among Republicans) or “somewhat” important (8 percent overall, 18 percent among Republicans) for insurance companies not to deny coverage to pregnant women. Similar numbers say the same about not charging women more than men for the same policy (94 percent overall, 85 percent among Republicans), and covering the cost of preventive health care such as breast and cervical cancer screenings with no out-of-pocket costs to the individual (95 percent overall, 87 percent among Republicans).
A large majority (75 percent) also support the current federal health care law’s requirement that private health insurance plans cover the full cost of birth control, including 42 percent of Republicans and 46 percent of conservatives.
“New Jersey women and families rely on Planned Parenthood for lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections,” said Christine Sadovy, Legislative and Political Director for Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey. “This latest poll shows what we already know: it’s time for elected officials in New Jersey to restore funding for preventive reproductive health care services and override the Governor’s veto.”
An estimated one in five American women has relied on Planned Parenthood for care in her lifetime. This poll is the latest in a series of20 separate nationwide polls and an additional 12 polls in key states which show strong favorability for Planned Parenthood and strong opposition to efforts in Congress to block patients from accessing high-quality, lifesaving care at Planned Parenthood. A number of questions asked in this poll replicate a national March 2017 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll. The full results of the New Jersey poll can be found at: http://www.njhcqi.org/initiative/health-matters-poll/new-jersey-voters-support-federal-and-state-funding-for-low-income-womens-health-insurance-coverage-for-womens-reproductive-health-services/
This polling data comes just one day before Planned Parenthood supporters from across New Jersey come together for a rally at the Trenton State House on Thursday June 15. Supporters, coalition partners, and champion legislators will make a final call to restore family planning funding to the state budget. The rally and press conference will take place at 12 noon at the Trenton World War II Memorial across State Street from the State House. For more information on the rally, contact [email protected].