New Report Highlights Impact of King v. Burwell on Women's Lives

For Immediate Release: March 3, 2015

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About 4.1 million women – including 1.4 million women of color – could lose insurance coverage, newPlanned Parenthood report says

WASHINGTON, DC — Planned Parenthood Action Fund today released a new report showing that 4.1 million women are at risk of losing affordable health insurance as a result of a case the U.S. Supreme Court will heartomorrow. That case, King v. Burwell, hinges on whether or not federal financial assistance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) should be available in all 50 states or only in the 16 states and the District of Columbia that have established their own state-based Marketplaces. A ruling in favor of King would mean that financial assistance — in the form of premium subsidies or tax credits — would no longer be available to consumers in the 34 states using the federally facilitated Marketplace, which has helped an estimated 87 percent of consumers in the Marketplace afford coverage, including about 4.1 million women — one-third of whom are women of color.

You can view the report and graphics on the potential impact of the case here.

“This case could have a devastating impact on millions of women. Our research shows that 4.1 million women, including 1.4 million women of color, could lose their affordable health insurance if the Supreme Court rules the wrong way in this case. For women, the Affordable Care Act means access to basic health care including routine doctors’ visits, birth control, mammograms, maternity benefits, and other preventive care — which is all on the line with this case,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

Included in this report:

• Over 4 million women — including 1.4 million women of color — who have enrolled in affordable Marketplace coverage in 34 states are at risk of losing their current health coverage, including basic health care such as routine doctors’ visits, affordable birth control, maternity care, cancer screenings, and other preventive care.
• In addition to women who already signed up for coverage, millions more women who are eligible for financial assistance, but not enrolled yet, would not be able to access financial help to afford coverage.
• All told, about 9.3 million people are eligible for premium tax credits in the 34 states in the federal Marketplace and at risk of losing affordable health insurance if the Court rules in favor of King.
• About half of the population at risk is located in five states — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
• Of the 9.3 million people at risk of losing financial assistance, about one-third (3.2 million) are people of color, including 1.5 million Hispanics and 1.2 million African Americans.  Another 495,000 individuals in other communities of color would lose premium subsidies and access to affordable coverage if the Court ruled in favor of King.
• Newresearch shows that a large majority of American voters believe that premium tax credits under the ACA should be available to people in all 50 states. The availability of financial assistance to help consumers afford health coverage is a popular element of the ACA. Seventy-one percent of voters want a Supreme Court decision that continues the availability of financial assistance in all 50 states and 63 percent would object to a decision that would limit the ACA’s tax credits to only the 16 states that operate their own state-based Marketplaces.

Tomorrow, two Planned Parenthood supporters will join allies from across the country at a rally outside the Supreme Court to talk about how their ability to enroll for health insurance, with financial support, has changed their lives. Their stories are below.

You can follow along a Tweetstorm using the hashtag #SaveHerCare, which will emphasize the impact on womentoday from 2-3 p.m. EST. Follow the broader conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #donttakemycare.

Planned Parenthood supporters speaking outside the Supreme Court Wednesday:

Delma Limones, 22, a college student from Austin, Texas, who has health insurance for the first time in four years as a result of the ACA.  She points out that Latinos in Texas comprise one of the highest uninsured groups in the nation. 

She says, “I used to be one of the many individuals that fell into that group before the ACA.  Health insurance had been inaccessible to me.  It felt like a luxury.  With the help of a Certified Applications Counselor at Planned Parenthood, I was able to enroll in a plan that met my needs.  And with the help of a financial subsidy I qualified for, I could enroll in a plan that fit my budget too.  I now have a plan that provides no-copay preventive care and affordable mental health services.  For the first time in four years, I have a sense of security because I don’t have to choose among rent, educational expenses, or a visit to the doctor.  Because of the ACA, I can stay healthy.”

Delma’s mother has cervical cancer, a disease that could have been prevented had she been insured herself.   “She was uninsured when she got cancer,” explains Delma.  “So this issue is very personal for me.”

Adrienne McLean, 26, from Indianapolis, Indiana, was allowed to remain on her parents’ plan until she turned 26.  Now she has her own Marketplace plan, which she is able to afford because she receives a $175 tax credit.   Adrienne works part-time as a medical assistant for a small private practice, receiving an irregular income, so is not able to afford health insurance without the ACA financial assistance.

Adrienne says, “I was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, so there are monthly visits to my endocrinologist, and I have diagnostic testing and procedures coming my way.  It’s up to me to make sure I’m covered and can afford my medications, office visits, and procedures, so Obamacare works for me.  Because of my health condition, being uninsured is really not an option.”

If you are a member of the media and would like to speak with a Planned Parenthood spokesperson or one of the women mentioned above, please contact the media office at 212.261.4433 or [email protected].