Letter to the Editor: Birth Control Coverage Decision is Correct, Newsday, January 7, 2012

Birth Control Coverage Decision is Correct

The Obama administration has made a sound medical and health policy decision to protect access to affordable birth control for millions of women ["Obama should step back," Editorial, Feb. 5]. The decision rejects efforts to further expand the refusal provision in the birth control coverage benefit.

This commonsense decision means that millions of women who would otherwise pay $15 to $50 a month will have access to affordable birth control without co-pays, helping them save hundreds of dollars each year. Doctors and public health experts agree that increased access to birth control is not only one of the best ways to prevent unintended pregnancies, it also improves health outcomes for women and their families.

The facts here are pretty simple. Women of all faiths, even Catholics, use birth control. Access to affordable birth control is widely supported by the general public.

Birth control is both a health care concern and an economic concern. The Obama administration's decision means that more women will be able to access this important benefit.