Building Back Better Must Mean Increasing Equitable Access to Health Care

While bipartisan infrastructure package contains many important investments, Congress must continue to increase equitable access to health care

 Finishing Medicaid expansion, as called for in the Senate budget resolution, would lower costs and provide health coverage for 4 million people, including more than 800,000 women of reproductive age

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan infrastructure package negotiated by the Biden administration and a group of Democratic and Republican senators. This bill contains many important investments, but more is needed to ensure an equitable recovery for all our families. Critical health care priorities — like the need to finish expanding Medicaid across all states, which would extend life-saving health insurance to 4 million Americans — require urgent action, and were fortunately included in the Senate budget resolution introduced Monday morning. Health care champions in Congress must use the reconciliation process to advance equitable access to health care and lower health care costs for millions of Americans.

Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America: 

“We’re facing a drastic increase in COVID-19 cases, and yet all too often Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities, LGBTQ+ people, and women continue to be denied access to the care they need. In fact, 4 million people who should have access to Medicaid, including more than 800,000 women of reproductive age, are currently without health insurance — in large part because state-level politicians refuse to expand Medicaid. Medicaid helps people access essential care like birth control and STI testing and treatment, and it pays for 42% of births in the country. Politicians in the 12 states refusing to expand Medicaid are leaving people without access to critical sexual and reproductive health care. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the disparities in our health care system. We simply cannot wait: The Senate must pass its budget resolution and  advance equitable access to health care without delay.”

Planned Parenthood is working with health champions in Congress to ensure the upcoming reconciliation package expands access to essential health care. The Senate budget resolution helps achieve these goals by: 

• lowering health care costs by finishing Medicaid expansion across all states and expanding access to affordable health coverage under the Affordable Care Act;

• requiring permanent 12 months postpartum coverage in Medicaid;

• recognizing the humanity of 11 million undocumented people by creating a pathway to citizenship;

• centering women — particularly women of color — in all solutions and relief, including through investments in child care and early education as well as paid family and medical leave;

• and more. 

Medicaid is already the largest payer of reproductive health care in the nation, paying for over 42% of all births in the United States and 75% of publicly funded family planning services. Yet the 12 states refusing to expand Medicaid are putting continuous health coverage out of reach for more than 800,000 women of reproductive age. 

Expanding the Medicaid programs in the 12 states refusing to do so would provide health insurance coverage to 2.2 million people with incomes below the federal poverty line who are currently uninsured. It would also open Medicaid coverage to an additional 1.8 million uninsured adults who are eligible for private health insurance plans through the ACA, but unable to afford them.

Groups who face systemic discrimination and barriers to economic advancement — people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and women — are more likely than others to have low incomes. This makes them more likely to be insured by Medicaid or to fall into this coverage gap. Medicaid’s role in addressing health inequities and access issues has only become more important during the pandemic. Closing the coverage gap is essential to building a better, stronger country and public health system.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect, and without judgment, striving to create equitable access to health care. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable education and information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the independently incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates operating health centers across the U.S.