Women's Caucus Wants Easier Access To Abortion Services

A package of bills from the Hawaii Women’s Legislative Caucus includes a measure to require health insurers and health maintenance groups to provide comprehensive coverage for reproductive services such as abortions.

“I think it’s just important for us as women that we get accurate sex education, accurate reproductive rights information,” said Sen. Roz Baker, one of the authors of Senate Bill 2341. “And we want to make sure that Medicaid can still pay for our low-income women, that it’s a part of all of the health plans that are provided, and that people have access to the good information.”

But the bill preserves the right of employers to not provide a plan with coverage of those services, based on religious beliefs, as long as they notify their employees that the services are available.

SB 2341 is a follow-up of sorts to Senate Bill 501, a controversial measure that was signed into law last year. It requires that all limited-service pregnancy centers disclose the availability of and enrollment information for reproductive health services.

Read more: http://www.civilbeat.org/2018/01/womens-caucus-wants-easier-access-to-abortion-services/?mobile=1