Statement by Staci Fox, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Southeast Advocates (PPSEA):
Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the 2010 Affordable Care Act is a major victory for the 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions who would otherwise be left without coverage in the middle of a Pandemic. Unfortunately, Georgia, which ranks at the bottom for overall health care, still refuses to expand Medicaid eligibility to most of its poor residents under the ACA, despite the new financial incentives offered by President Biden to increase access.
So, while we should celebrate the fact that the ACA continues to be the law of the land, let's be clear: our work isn’t done. There are still major inequities that exist within our health care system that must be addressed. There are still efforts being made to roll back abortion rights and undermine access to birth control.
Our focus needs to be on expanding affordable coverage, including access to sexual and reproductive health care. Before the ACA’s birth control benefit went into effect, contraception accounted for 30% to 44% of women’s out-of-pocket health care costs. Now that the ACA is here to stay, this preventative, reproductive health care option will continue to be accessible for the millions of women, families, and young people who depend on it.
It’s past time for this Republican-led war against health care to end. This is yet another reminder of why elections matter and why we must continue to push for health care champions who will advocate on behalf of people, not politics.
Tags: Medicaid Expansion, Affordable Care Act, birth control benefits, abortion_care