DENVER – Nuevas reglas emitidas por la administración Trump permiten a los empleados de aseguradoras negar cobertura en casos de anticoncepción, poniendo a 53 mil mujeres en riesgo de perder su seguro médico para control natal.

De tal manera que hoy, cuando abre la inscripción para cobertura de salud bajo la Ley de Atención Asequible (“Affordable Care Act”), las mujeres de Colorado y de todo el país podrían terminar pagando mucho más de su bolsillo por la cobertura de control natal.

El Presidente Donald Trump recientemente allanó el camino para que los empleados eliminen de sus planes de salud la atención contraceptiva.

Emily Johnson, analista “senior” de políticas y estadística en el Instituto de la Salud de Colorado (“Colorado Health Institute”), dice que 53 mil mujeres del estado podrían acabar sin cobertura para surtir sus recetas de control natal.

“La Ley de Cuidado Asequible también exige planes de seguro para tratamientos de control natal como un servicio de prevención saludable para mujeres, lo que significa que debe ser un servicio sin costo que las mujeres pueden tener para todas las principales formas de control natal.”

En octubre la administración Trump emitió reglas que permitirían a las empresas negarle a las mujeres trabajadoras un seguro de salud para anticoncepción, arguyendo que las mujeres que tengan objeciones religiosas o morales ante el control natal no deberían pagar la cobertura.

Una investigación hecha entre mujeres que tienen negocios pequeños detectó que muchas ven el acceso al control natal como factor crítico para avanzar en la carrera, para el lanzamiento de empresas o para su progreso.

Emily Dewey gerente de difusión en Mayoría de Negocios Pequeños (“Small Business Majority”), que fue el grupo comisionado a levantar el estudio, dice que el acceso al control natal asequible es más que un problema de salud.

“Tener acceso a servicios de salud con un precio crítico, incluso el acceso al control natal, puede hacer la diferencia para que una mujer pueda iniciar un negocio o hacerlo crecer, y convertirse en empresaria fuerte que genera empleos en la economía de hoy.”

De acuerdo al Departamento de Salud Pública y Medio Ambiente de Colorado (“Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment”), la tasa de nacimientos de madres adolescentes y la cantidad de abortos han bajado significativamente debido al mejor acceso que hay a los servicios de planificación familiar.

Johnson agrega que las empresas que no cubrieron la contracepción antes del ACA podrían resistirse a hacer retroactivo el beneficio.

“Una vez que la gente tiene un nuevo beneficio del seguro de salud, es mucho más difícil quitárselo que si nunca se le brindó en primer lugar. Así que no podemos estar seguros de si cada mujer que antes no tuvo cobertura de control natal, vaya a perderla.”

La Unión Americana de Libertades Civiles exigió, a nombre de un sindicato de trabajadores, que se bloqueen estas nuevas normas.

El análisis del “Colorado Health Institute” (CHI) está en coloradohealthinstitute.org - La investigación, en smallbusinessmajority.org - El reporte del “Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment” (CDPHE), en colorado.gov.


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Access to reduced-price medication is a necessity for many rural Missourians with low income.

Rep. Cindy O'Laughlin, R-Shelbina, the Senate Floor Leader, said Big Pharma is trying to confuse legislators with unrelated hot-button topics such as abortion access and illegal immigration in a last-ditch effort to stop the state from joining a program to force drugmakers to sell medicines at a discount.

"Appealing to nuclear topics, which really do not apply in this situation, is a disingenuous way to try to defeat a bill that is actually good for Missouri," O'Laughlin asserted.

O'Laughlin pointed out the program is transparent, and uses the tax money saved to help low-income families deal with chronic conditions such as diabetes.

The drugmakers object to the government forcing them to give significant discounts, arguing hospitals' and for-profit pharmacies' bottom lines, particularly those owned by pharmacy benefits managers, are being exploited. Nationally, 46% of contract pharmacy agreements involve pharmacies linked to the three largest benefits managers.

Rep. Tara Peters, R-Rolla, introduced the 340B contract pharmacy access billand said the lobbying is absurd.

"Federally, 340B program does not allow for abortion drugs," Peters stressed. "Why would any legislation that we're trying to pass in the state allow for that? I mean, the thought of that even being in existence is absolutely ludicrous."

The Missouri Senate passed the bill 27-3 on Monday and it now goes to the House.


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Alabama is running out of time to tackle Medicaid expansion this legislative session.

More than 230 people gathered earlier this month with the group Alabama Arise, urging state lawmakers to prioritize the issue. Their message: Access to health care isn't just a matter of policy, it can be a matter of life and death.

Debbie Smith, Cover Alabama campaign director for Alabama Arise, said as the session winds down, the group will continue to echo the call for increased access to health coverage. She thinks it would not only save lives but revitalize communities across the state.

"Over 80% of our rural hospitals are operating in the red," Smith pointed out. "Not a great stat. About 19 rural hospitals are at immediate risk of closure, and those are the lifeblood of those communities. They're on life support."

Smith emphasized hospitals at financial risk also put their workforce at risk. Those who are against Medicaid expansion believe it is ultimately unaffordable for the state. However, Smith argued it could save the state nearly $400 million over the next six years. According to the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, those savings would be enough to cover the cost.

The council's study also showed Medicaid expansion would generate nearly $2 billion of economic growth. Beyond economic benefits, Smith pointed to the stark disparities in maternal and infant mortality rates in Alabama.

She stressed Medicaid expansion would do more than provide health care coverage during pregnancy or postpartum, it is about ensuring comprehensive coverage.

"We've been lucky enough to expand Medicaid coverage up to 12 months postpartum but we still need to figure out how to cover people before they even get pregnant," Smith asserted. "It's really important for people to have health coverage so they can address any kind of issues they might have, like if they have diabetes or high blood pressure that might affect their pregnancy in the future."

With limited time left in the legislative session, she noted one option could be Gov. Kay Ivey's executive authority to enact Medicaid expansion. Smith added using the power could be the simplest path forward, backed by the promise of additional funding from the American Rescue Plan.

A Connecticut bill would expand the state's paid sick leave law.

The initial 2011 law requires 40 hours of paid sick leave for workers at employers with 50 businesses or more. The new bill covers all workers regardless of their employer's size.

Janée Woods Weber, executive director of the nonprofit She Leads Justice, said the legislation can benefit workers without access to paid sick leave.

"These are people for whom taking a few hours off when their child has a cold or perhaps they need to take themselves to a doctor's appointment are the kinds of challenges that many of us don't worry about, those of us who do have access to paid sick days," Woods Weber explained.

Small businesses were concerned about how the change could affect them. To address worries, the bill has a three-year implementation cycle giving them time to adapt. It also creates a task force studying the feasibility of providing tax credits to businesses with the smallest workforces. The bill passed the House and awaits a vote in the Senate.

An estimated 11% of workers are eligible for paid sick leave under the current criteria. Though expanding the law has taken over a decade, Woods Weber argued it has always been necessary.

"Nobody should be forced to make what is often times a very difficult and sometimes impossible choice between their livelihood," Woods Weber emphasized. "Getting a paycheck and getting to take paid time off to take care of themselves or a loved one if they get sick."

She added that once the bill is passed, the state can build off it by allowing people to earn more than 40 hours of paid sick time. Woods Weber said the isolation requirements during the pandemic forced anyone who got COVID-19 to use their allotted sick time all at once for isolation.


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