Statement on Short-Sighted Decision to Scale Back Health Insurance Plans
Contact:
Mistie Tolman, Idaho Public Affairs Manager, (208) 861-4371;
Katie Rogers, Communications Manager, (206) 595-0426
For Immediate Release: Jan. 24, 2018 (Updated: Jan. 24, 2018, 9:54 p.m.)
Planned Parenthood Statement on Short-Sighted Decision to Scale Back Health Insurance Plans
First-of-its-Kind Proposal Impacts Thousands of Idahoans
BOISE – Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii (PPVNH) is outraged following the announcement by Idaho Department of Insurance Director, Dean Cameron, who authorized a plan for insurance companies to sell weak policies that could eliminate key essential health benefits (EHB) covered by the Affordable Care Act.
Statement from Mistie Tolman, Idaho Legislative Director, PPVNH:
“Make no mistake, this is a direct attack on women of all ages. Women disproportionately rely on every one of the EHB standards – not just maternity coverage – and would be disproportionately affected by the roll back of these services. The move has been considered “legally dubious” and follows a pattern in the state by elected officials who introduce policies that are harmful and unconstitutional and necessitate costly legal battles. In 2015, Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands sued the state of Idaho over the Telehealth Access Act and House Bill 154 and won.
“By opening the door for insurance policies to cut benefits in Idaho, the state is making it harder for women to prevent unintended pregnancy, harder to have a healthy pregnancy, and harder to raise a healthy child. If the goal of the state is to strengthen the insurance market, this would have the opposite effect – leading to a departure from the exchanges and a lack of options for Idahoans who need and value the range of services guaranteed under the Affordable Care Act.”