COALITION FOR FAMILY HEALTH ENDORSES LEGISLATION AIMED AT ENSURING “COMPASSIONATE ASSISTANCE” FOR VICTIMS OF RAPE AND EQUITABLE INSURANCE COVERAGE OF

Unified Groups Urge Swift, Immediate Passage of Critical Breakout Bills

COLUMBUS (October 30, 2009)—A pair of bills focused on key aspects of the recently introduced Ohio Prevention First Act (OPFA) have received the endorsement of the statewide Coalition for Family Health.  Introduced Tuesday were:
 

• Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE), which will require that all Ohio emergency rooms make emergency contraception available and accessible to survivors of sexual assault; and
• Contraceptive Equity, which will mandate insurance parity for FDA-approved prescription contraception (by preventing insurance companies from charging a higher co-payment or offering reduced coverage for contraception than those payments and coverage associated with other prescription drugs).

Judi Wolf of the National Council of Jewish Women, the coalition’s convening organization, praised the breakout bills and their sponsor, Representative Dan Stewart.  “The Coalition for Family Health applauds Representative Stewart’s introduction of the Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) and contraceptive equity bills,” said Wolf.  “With this legislation, the urgency—and the rationality–of two of the primary provisions of the Ohio Prevention First Act have been exposed.  And while my fellow coalition members and I remain firmly committed to the passage of the OPFA in its entirety, we also recognize the need for the immediate passage of these critical breakout bills.”

Megan O’Bryan of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, a longtime proponent of the CARE Act and coalition member organization, echoed Wolf’s enthusiasm for CARE and its commonsense, common-ground approach.  Seeking to correct the widespread—and false—belief that emergency contraception induces abortion, O’Bryan explained, “Emergency contraception cannot and will not disrupt an established pregnancy.  What it can do, however, is prevent a pregnancy from occurring and, for victims of sexual assault, emergency contraception can calm one of the countless concerns that women who have been raped are forced to confront.”    

Wolf added, “Misunderstanding—and oftentimes deliberate deception—about what emergency contraception is and does, about the inequities of prescription drug coverage, and about the provisions of OPFA and its breakout bills exist in communities throughout Ohio.  Our role, as a coalition, is to respond to misinformation with data and stories that create a complete and truthful picture.  We are confident that Ohioans and their representatives in the General Assembly will choose compassion and fairness.  And we believe that the bills introduced on Tuesday, like the Ohio Prevention First Act, are grounded in compassion and fairness.”  

The growing Coalition for Family Health currently comprises thirty-four member groups—public and private organizations and government agencies that have joined forces to advocate for (1) public policies and practices that promote the prevention of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections/diseases and (2) the rights of each individual and family to safe, legal, and accessible reproductive healthcare services.  For additional information about the Coalition for Family Health and the legislation referenced in this release, visit www.coalitionforfamilyhealth.org or contact Joanie O’Brien at jobrien@mrss.com.

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