Two bipartisan senators are calling on President Biden to address the disparity in access to contraceptives between military women and civilians.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D.N.H.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) wrote a letter On Wednesday, he called on Biden to expand military personnel's access to contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration in his budget request. The senators said military health insurance includes copays for preventive services, including contraception.
“As we prepare, [fiscal 2025] Urges the Department of Defense and other relevant agencies to consider how new and existing resources can be used to remove barriers to contraceptive access for service members, in accordance with the President's budget request. ,” the senators wrote.
“We have a duty to ensure that those who serve our country have unrestricted access to essential health services, such as contraception, and that our civilian counterparts do not face additional cost requirements that have already been eliminated. “We have an obligation to do so,” they continued.
Lawmakers said that civilians enrolled in employer-sponsored plans are “guaranteed access to preventive services, such as contraception, at no cost to them,” and that civilians and military personnel have a similar relationship when it comes to access to contraceptives. They argued that further steps needed to be taken to bridge the gap.
They are asking Biden to include legislation in his budget request detailing “efforts to reduce barriers to access for military members of contraceptives.”
“The military health system serves approximately 1.62 million women of reproductive age, including military personnel, veterans, and their dependents. These women have the same free access to contraception as civilian women. You have a right,” the lawmakers wrote.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
