Planned Parenthood Celebrates the Reintroduction of the EACH Act in Congress; Urges Swift Passage
For Immediate Release: March 25, 2021
WASHINGTON — Today, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) are reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act, critical legislation to guarantee health coverage for safe, legal abortion regardless of how much money a person makes or type of insurance coverage they have. This legislation builds on previous versions of the bill to be more inclusive of all gender identities, recognizing that everyone who can get pregnant should have access to sexual and reproductive health care — including abortion.
Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:
“Abortion is essential, time-sensitive health care and should be a fundamental right for all — no matter your gender identity, how much money you make, where you live, or how you’re insured. Yet for more than 40 years, the Hyde Amendment has blocked people with low incomes from using their health coverage for abortion. This disproportionately harms Black people, Latinos, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, who because of systemic racism and oppression are more likely to get their health insurance through Medicaid and other public health programs. It’s past time to end this racist, discriminatory policy. I applaud Reps. Barbara Lee, Diana DeGette, Jan Schakowsky, and Ayanna Pressley, and Sens. Duckworth, Patty Murray, and Mazie Hirono for introducing the EACH Act. And I thank All* Above All and our other partners in the reproductive justice community for leading this fight for reproductive freedom. Congress must immediately pass this bill to help ensure that abortion is accessible for everyone.”
The EACH Act would overturn the discriminatory and racist Hyde Amendment, which blocks most people with Medicaid from using their health coverage to access safe, legal abortion. Similar restrictions block people in other federal government funded programs, including active-duty military, veterans, Indigenous people, and government employees, from using their insurance to pay for an abortion. The EACH Act also stops Congress from interfering with private insurance companies that cover abortion.
Beyond its harmful consequences, the Hyde Amendment is also deeply unpopular: 6 in 10 people agree that Medicaid should cover abortion services like it covers all other reproductive health services. The Biden-Harris administration supports repealing the Hyde Amendment.
Alongside the EACH Act, Planned Parenthood strongly supports the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act, introduced by Rep. Schakowsky, to repeal the Helms Amendment, which blocks the use of foreign assistance to expand access to abortion. Congress must immediately act to protect and expand sexual and reproductive health care rights across the country and abroad. The EACH Act is an important part of that mission.
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.