Right Now Abortion Care Resources Are Increasingly Crucial
Since the 2022 Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, roughly half of states have banned or restricted abortion access, and today there are 14 states with no abortion clinics. Following the 2024 election AbortionFinder.org had a 320% surge in daily visits, showing an urgent demand for this important health care information. As the new administration already signals opposition to sexual and reproductive health care, access to trustworthy, medically-accurate abortion information and care has never been more essential.
On Roe’s would-be anniversary Power to Decide CEO, Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley shared her thoughts on the road ahead and the importance of protecting access to crucial reproductive and sexual health services. Read the full statement to learn more.
Start Empowering Patients Today
Bedsider Providers is a resource designed to put health care providers and their patients in control. A one-stop resource to simplify conversations about birth control and reproductive health, Bedsider Providers is now offering its resources as digital downloads to subscribers for free. Key features of the toolkit include easy-to-use visual aids, printable handouts and posters, and simplified information for simplified conversations. Sign up to the Providers newsletter to learn more.
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If you’re interested in joining Power to Decide’s team, you can always see all our open positions, including internships and fellowships, on our job board. If you want to be the first to know when a new opportunity is posted follow us on LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram.
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Federal Update
Congress Returns and has until March 14 to Fund the Government
Early in January, members of Congress returned and were sworn in to begin the 119th Congress. On January 20, President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. Now that a new administration has begun and members have returned, one of the top priorities is finalizing FY25 funding. As members continue negotiating final appropriations bills, it’s important that they fund programs that support key reproductive health care and sexual health education.
Contact your legislators and tell them to finalize FY25 funding and increase funding to programs that support reproductive well-being.
Supreme Court Agrees to Consider Two Important Cases This Spring
In the past few weeks, the Supreme Court has agreed to consider two cases with important implications for reproductive well-being. In Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (formerly Kerr v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic) the Court will consider whether or not South Carolina can block Medicaid beneficiaries from getting care at Planned Parenthood health centers.
In Becerra v. Braidwood Management Inc., the Court will consider whether employers have a right to refuse to cover preventive services they object to (in this case preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication for HIV prevention). This case will also decide the constitutionality of the ACA’s requirements in the law for specific expert committees (in this case the United States Preventive services Task Force or USPSTF, which recommends PrEP) and a federal government agency to recommend covered preventive services. While this case does not directly call into question the ACA’s women’s preventive services requirement, it could interfere with coverage of PrEP and have implications for future challenges to other no co-pay preventive services.
Both cases will likely be argued this spring, with decisions coming in June or early July.
State Updates
Today, state legislative sessions are under way in all but four states (AL, FL, LA, and WV). We are tracking many bills across the country related to sexual and reproductive health and see several positive and negative trends. Here are a few of the positive (+) and negative (-) trends that we are seeing:
+ In states where abortion rights are protected, legislators continue to introduce bills to shore up access. For example, a bill introduced in Arizona would remove the prohibition against using telemedicine for medication abortion. A bill in New York would broaden access to abortion medication by allowing pharmacists and registered professional nurses to dispense mifepristone under a standing order from the state health commissioner.
+ Legislators also continue to work toward increasing contraceptive access. This includes bills to require insurers to cover an annual supply of contraception at one time and bills that would require insurers to cover the full range of contraceptive methods without additional co-pays.
- States that have banned abortion are trying to further restrict access to medication abortion. This includes trying to bar medications that can be used for abortion from being mailed to state residents in Oklahoma and Tennessee, for example. It also includes attempts by legislators in Indiana, Oklahoma, and Texas to copy the Louisiana law (Act 246) that categorizes mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances. The Louisiana law, which is already being challenged in court, is creating confusion and delaying care for patients in need of misoprostol.
- Legislators continue to introduce bills to ban or further restrict abortion access in states where voters passed constitutional amendments, for example, Kansas, Missouri, and Montana.
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This Valentine's Day, honor your loved one with a gift that goes beyond flowers and chocolates. Consider a donation that will contribute to advancing sexual and reproductive well-being for all.
Your generous support can help us reach more people, develop innovative tools, and advocate for a future where all individuals have the power to decide.
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