Women no longer have to feel
like second-class citizens when comparing their insurance coverage to men.
In July, the Assembly and
the Senate reached an agreement that will expand access to critical health care
services for many women in New York State (A11723 Glick/S7657 Bruno).
Under the bill, insurance
companies would be required to expand coverage for early detection and
treatment of breast and cervical cancer and osteoporosis. In addition, they
would have to provide coverage for prescriptive contraceptives for all women.
A religious exemption
negotiated and agreed to earlier this year narrowly defines which religious
employers who would be exempt from offering health insurance coverage that
includes contraceptives. In order to be exempt, a religious organization must
primarily employ and serve people who share the religious tenets of the entity.
The entity must also have the purpose of the inculcation of religious values.
The bill also makes a
financial commitment to provide $500,000 to women who cannot meet their
deductible or co-pay obligations. This provision will increase access to basic,
life-saving preventive health care services by helping to remove the financial
barriers that have kept women from throughout the state from receiving
mammograms and cervical cancer screenings.
Passage of this legislation
made full access to healthcare a reality for all women of New York State.
Thanks go to Assembly member Glick, who fervently pursued this issue; Senator
Bruno, who kept the Senate focused on this issue; all of the legislators who
supported this bill and all of the advocates who went to Albany to lobby on
behalf of this bill.
Source: Planned Parenthood of Hudson Peconic
