3 Reasons the Latest Obamacare-Repeal Bill Sucks for Women’s Sexual Health

Several Obamacare-repeal bills have been proposed  to the House of Representatives, but none have passed; the most recent bill up for grabs is Graham-Cassidy. This bill, which was named after sponsors Sens. Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy, would make it harder for low-income women to access Planned Parenthood and allow states to reduce medical coverage if it is passed.

After a years-long effort by anti-abortion advocates and lawmakers to defund Planned Parenthood, the passing of the latest healthcare bill would be the greatest deficit to the sexual health care organization. Here’s a few reasons why Graham-Cassidy would hurt not only Planned Parenthood, but women in general.

The bill would cut off federal funding for low-income women on Medicare to get reproductive health services at Planned Parenthood. Stopping states from providing this coverage for one year could potentially result in the closure of more Planned Parenthood clinics.

Typically, abortion rates are covered under her job’s health benefit. However, under Graham-Cassidy, if a woman on the independent market got pregnant and didn’t wish to be, her coverage cost would be banned. The same is true for women at a small business because her company would no longer receive tax credits for covering this form of maternity care.

Along with maternity care and reproductive health services, prescription drugs, mental health services and treatment for substance abuse will no longer be covered under the new healthcare bill. The bill will allow states to waive the provision that require insurance companies to cover these benefits, which will leave millions of women – and men – without affordable options to seek medical help.