2/9/20 - Mary Chace
Twenty nineteen was a stressful but successful year for women's health care in Rhode Island. After forty years and much hard work by the League, along with many groups and individuals, the Reproductive Health Care Act was passed.

Other legislation that we championed was removing gender rating from insurance policies; health insurance coverage for all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs; and a doula reimbursement act, which would address maternal mortality rates for women, particularly black women who die at 3-4 times the rate for white women. These did not pass.

This year the League will again advocate for prohibiting insurance companies from varying the rates charged for a health coverage plan based on the gender of the individual (S 2125); and providing medical assistance for expectant mothers (doula bill - S 2124.) So far these are the only health-related bills introduced for which we will be advocating. We will oppose H-7355, a House resolution recognizing the Fetus as a Human life upon the Existence of a Heartbeat.

The health care position of the League of Women Voters is that "a basic level of quality health care at an affordable cost should be available to all U.S. residents, and health care policy goals should include the equitable distribution of services, efficient and economical delivery of care."

This is our argument for supporting the S2124 and S2125. Stay tuned for additions.