Oregon Governor Signs Reproductive Health Equity Act; Expands Healthcare Coverage To Thousands

PORTLAND, OR — Gov. Kate Brown held true to the Oregon spirit of trailblazing new paths and doing things a bit differently when she signed the nation's most progressive health policy into law on Wednesday, effectively eliminating reproductive health care barriers that previously affected Oregon residents based on citizenship status, gender identity, and income — as well as send a message to the Trump administration that regardless of whether U.S. legislators choose to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, Oregon will still take care of its residents.

House Bill 3391, the Reproductive Health Equity Act, ensures reproductive health care is available to all people who can become pregnant and bans discrimination against those who identify as transgender or gender-nonconforming, according to the Pro-Choice Coalition of Oregon. It also establishes a state-funded means to provide health coverage for women who were previously excluded from certain kinds of coverage — specifically Medicaid — based on citizenship status and other federal regulations.

"We are so grateful for the bold leadership of Governor Brown and legislative champions who understand that Oregonians don't want reproductive health care attacked," Laurel Swerdlow, advocacy director for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, said in a statement. "Women, transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, people of color, immigrants and people of faith are not going to silently stand around while politicians in Washington D.C. try to take away our health care."

The Pro-Choice Coalition broke down the new law by-the-numbers:

• 900,000 Oregonians covered by private insurance now have expanded reproductive health coverage;
• 360,000 Oregon women now have protected access to copay-free preventive healthcare services under the Affordable Care Act;
• 48,000 low-income mothers in Oregon can receive coverage that now extends past delivery to include follow-up visits during the postpartum period;
• 43,000 Oregon women of reproductive age with high-deductible policies now have abortion coverage at no out-of-pocket cost; and
• 18,600 Oregon women of reproductive age can purchase insurance plans that now cannot charge them a co-pay or other out-of-pocket costs for preventive health services, including contraception.

"This is an amazing victory, and it's all the more significant given the current political landscape," said Amy Casso, Gender Justice program director for Western States Center. "In the face of relentless rollbacks and attacks at the federal level, Oregonians are showing the rest of the country what it means to be resilient and visionary. This groundbreaking legislation is the result of a forward-thinking, inclusive campaign that uplifted the leadership of people of color. There is still work to be done, but today we celebrate that more Oregonians have the freedom to decide if and when they have children based on what's best for them and their family's circumstances."

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