Family Planning Provisions in Current Federal Law & Health Reform Proposals
Congress has a long history of recognizing the value of family planning services by consistently and explicitly including family planning as a core part of publicly-funded health programs. In most cases, family planningi is included within the framework of preventive services. This robust record means that including family planning as part of health reform would simply be extending a long-standing commitment to this set of preventive services, which is separate and distinct from abortion. The following is actual language pertaining to family planning in existing law and in the various health reform bills currently under consideration in Congress.
Download Family Planning Provisions in Current Federal Law & Health Reform Proposals
National Campaign Statement in Support of the Ryan DeLauro Bill
The National Campaign has long believed that reducing conflict and respecting a range of deeply held opinions is essential to making progress on the important issue of reducing both teen and unintended/unplanned pregnancy. The Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act, authored by Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Tim Ryan (D-OH), is an important example of this reasonable, inclusive perspective.
Read the Statement
Read the full Bill here
Read a 1-page summary of the Bill here
Read a 4-page summary of the Bill here
Read statements of support for the Bill here
Fast Facts: Existing Family Planning Coverage in Public and Private Insurance Systems
As lawmakers advance health reform, it is necessary to ensure that affordability is not achieved at the expense of quality. One key marker of achieving this balance will be providing coverage for at least the benefits already in most typical health insurance plans. Family planning services are widely used and widely supported and are also covered by most public and private insurance plans or systems. In fact, family planning services are a core element of several public programs. The following fact sheet highlights existing coverage of family planning services and supplies in the public and private insurance plans.
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Fast Facts: Existing Family Planning Coverage in Public and Private Insurance Systems
Briefly - Policy Brief: Contraceptive Equity
Access to affordable and effective contraception is integral to preventing unplanned pregnancy. Half of all pregnancies in the United
States are unplanned, and more than one-third (1.1 million) are to unmarried women in their twenties. Helping young women and men improve pregnancy planning and prevention requires responsible behavior coupled with responsible policies that ensure access not only to affordable family planning services but also to effective prescription drugs and devices.
Download Briefly - Policy Brief: Contraceptive Equity
Briefly - Policy Brief: Restoring Affordable Birth Control
An unintended consequence of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) has been the dramatic increase in the price of contraceptives for non-Title X clinics, which has left many college students and low-income women unable to access low-cost, effective methods of contraception. Left uncorrected, more young adults will be unable to get the services that help them avoid unplanned pregnancy.
Download Briefly - Policy Brief: Restoring Affordable Birth Control
Briefly: Strengthening America’s Family Planning Safety Net in the Context of Health Reform
Reducing the stubbornly high levels of unplanned pregnancy in the U.S. will require both personal responsibility on the part of individuals as well as responsible policies that give women and men the information and services they need to plan pregnancy. This brief explores such ideas in greater detail.
Download Briefly: Strengthening America’s Family Planning Safety Net in the Context of Health Reform
Briefly - Policy Brief: Title X
Over the past 38 years, Title X, the nation’s federally-funded family planning program, has played a critical role in preventing unplanned pregnancy by offering low-income and uninsured individuals access to high-quality contraceptive services, preventive screenings, and health education. Unfortunately, demand for these services far exceeds the supply and years of inadequate funding increases that have failed to keep pace with inflation have forced program providers to offer fewer contraceptive choices and limit services.
Download Briefly - Policy Brief: Title X
Contraception 101: A Capitol Hill Briefing
This briefing brought together a panel of experts to discuss the latest information about an array of contraceptive options, including newer methods such as “the patch” and “the ring” and other long-acting reversible contraceptives.
Visit the briefing webpage
Fast Facts: Making the Case for Family Planning Coverage in Health Reform
Congress has a long history of recognizing the value of family planning services by including it as a core part of its public programs. In addition to improving health outcomes, this preventive benefit is both affordable and cost-effective for consumers, employers, and the government alike. This fact sheet summarizes the government’s long-standing commitment to this set of services and the cost-benefit of family planning coverage.
Download Fast Facts: Making the Case for Family Planning Coverage in Health Reform
Fast Facts: Men in the United States: Unplanned Pregnancy,Sexual Activity, and Contraceptive Use (Data as of 2002)
Download Fast Facts: Men in the United States: Unplanned Pregnancy,Sexual Activity, and Contraceptive Use (Data as of 2002)
Fast Facts: Teen Sexual Behavior and Contraceptive Use: Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2007
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that positive changes in high school teens’ sexual behavior
and contraceptive use have stalled. At present, nearly half of all teens have ever had sex and more than one-third are sexually active (that is,
they have had sex in the past three months).
Download Fast Facts: Teen Sexual Behavior and Contraceptive Use: Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2007
Letter of Support: Nominal Drug Pricing
Download Letter of Support: Nominal Pricing
A Look at Latinos: Latino Teen Sexual Behavior and Contraceptive Use
Since
the teen pregnancy rate among Latinas is not decreasing as
quickly as the overall national rate—more than half of all
Latina girls experience a pregnancy before they turn 20— it is important to explore the sexual behavior and
contraceptive use patterns of Latinos.
Download A Look at Latinos: Latino Teen Sexual Behavior and Contraceptive Use
Rescission Proposal Comments
The National Campaign submitted comments to the Department of Health and Human Services in support of the Obama Administration’s proposal to rescind the rule enacted by the Bush Administration entitled, ““Ensuring That Department of Health and Human Services Funds Do Not Support Coercive or Discriminatory Policies or Practices in Violation of Federal Law,” which could adversely affect access to contraception in the U.S. and exacerbate the nation’s already high rates of teen and unplanned pregnancy.
Download a copy of the latest statement
Science Says #29: Teen Contraceptive Use
This Science Says issue brief presents information on contraceptive
use among sexually experienced teens.
Download Science Says #29: Teen Contraceptive Use