Mainers believe women should have access to birth control - no matter where they work. That’s why the Maine Choice Coalition is expressing disappointment in an apparent reversal of position on contraception by Attorney General Bill Schneider. In 1999, the Attorney General who was then a member of the Maine House of Representatives, voted in favor of Maine’s contraception equity law. Unfortunately, Attorney General Schneider has signed onto a letter calling on the Obama administration to reverse a similar regulation issued last month that would require health insurance companies to offer contraception coverage to women at no cost.
It is surprising to see Maine sign on to this letter among so many states that do not require health insurance to cover contraceptives. Since 1999, Maine law has required all health insurance policies that provide prescription drug coverage to include contraceptive coverage, with a limited exception for churches and religiously-affiliated schools. This law has stood, without challenge, for over 12 years. Maine is one of twenty-eight states that require contraception coverage.
“This is so disappointing,” said Charlotte Warren of the Maine Women’s Lobby, “at a time when so many Mainers are hurting already and organizations like ours are working to improve women’s health, we are now forced to fight against these bills that aim to reverse decades of progress for women’s health.”
Under the new federal policy, also known as the Obama compromise issued on February 10, religiously affiliated hospitals and universities will not have to contribute to the cost of birth control coverage. Instead, insurance companies will provide that coverage directly to the employees of those organizations at no cost.
“Religious liberty does not mean the right to impose religious views on others,” said Shenna Bellows, Executive Director of the ACLU of Maine. “Employers should not be able to impose their moral views about birth control on the women who work for them.”
Proposals pending in Congress would allow employers to prohibit their employees from accessing healthcare coverage for any procedures found to be morally objectionable. The proposals are far-reaching and would allow corporations and insurance companies to refuse providing coverage for ANY essential health service – including birth control, maternity care, HIV/AIDS treatment, and cancer screenings for virtually any reason.
“All women should have access to contraception, have it without a co-pay, and have it no matter where they work,” said Ruth Lockhart, Executive Director of the Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center said, “Asking for anything else is unfair – and flies in the face of what the vast majority of Mainers feel about the issue.”
Groups like Catholics United, the Catholic Health Association (the umbrella organization for the nation’s Catholic hospitals), and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities have come out in support of the policy.
The Maine Choice Coalition respectfully urges the Attorney General to reconsider his position and support women’s access to contraception.
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