New Yorkers Guaranteed Free Birth Control & Medically Necessary Abortions

Donald Trump has promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and the Senate and House have already voted for a measure that makes this possible. If they're successful, this would endanger our right to get birth control and abortions covered by insurance. Many women are getting IUDs now so they don't have to pay for birth control under Trump's presidency. New Yorkers, however, don't have to worry about that. The New York Department of Financial Services released a statement Saturday declaring that insurers in the state must cover at least one form of each birth control method, as well as "medically necessary abortion services," without requiring any copays, deductibles, or co-insurance. Insurance providers are also required to convey the information about the policy contained in this letter so that customers are aware of it. Some big companies offer employees plans that don't have to adhere to state law, according to Bloomberg. But in general, New York's policy demonstrates how states can avoid the effects of an Obamacare repeal. "Women deserve to make a fair wage and the same salary as any man, they deserve to work in an office free of sexual harassment, they deserve comprehensive paid family leave, and they deserve control over their health and reproductive decisions," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in the statement. "These regulatory actions will help ensure that whatever happens at the federal level, women in our state will have cost-free access to reproductive health care and we hope these actions serve as a model for equality across the nation."