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Kelly Ayotte's Birth Control Proposal: A Misleading and Costly Plan for Women

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte's proposal to make birth control available over-the-counter may sound appealing, but it would actually force women to pay hundreds of dollars more out of pocket for a service that they can currently access for free through the Affordable Care Act. This move is consistent with Ayotte's voting record, which includes defunding Planned Parenthood, supporting the Blunt Amendment, and voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Key Takeaways:

  • Kelly Ayotte's birth control proposal would force women to pay $600 per year more in out-of-pocket costs, totaling over $480 million annually across the country.
  • Ayotte has consistently voted against women's reproductive health, including voting to defund Planned Parenthood, supporting the Blunt Amendment, and voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
  • Ayotte's proposal is a misleading attempt to confuse voters about her true record on reproductive health, which is characterized by backward policies that would set women and families back economically.
  • The Affordable Care Act has provided access to birth control for over 48 million women nationwide without copays, and Ayotte's proposal would take away this vital coverage.
  • Ayotte's voting record has consistently prioritized the agenda of Republicans, including attempts to repeal the ACA and restrict access to birth control.

Statistics:

  • $600: The amount women would be forced to pay per year in out-of-pocket costs for birth control under Ayotte's proposal.
  • $480 million: The total annual cost to women across the country under Ayotte's proposal.
  • 48 million: The number of women nationwide who have access to birth control without copays through the Affordable Care Act.
  • 76 million: The number of Americans with private health insurance who gained preventive service coverage with no cost-sharing, including 29.7 million women.
  • 152,000: The number of women in New Hampshire who gained access to expanded preventive health services without cost-sharing due to the Affordable Care Act.

Sources:

  • New Hampshire Democratic Party: Concord, N.H. - Kelly Ayotte's misleading over-the-counter birth control proposal may sound good, but it's not.
  • Planned Parenthood: 9/8/14 - Since their positions are so unpopular with voters in their states, it's obvious why they're trying to confuse voters by masking their real agenda.
  • H.Con.Res. 36: Vote 60, 4/14/11 - Adoption of the concurrent resolution that would direct the House clerk to make a correction in the enrollment of a bill (HR 1473) to provide $1.055 trillion in discretionary funding for fiscal 2011, and insert a section that would bar the use of funds made available in the bill to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. or its affiliates.
  • S.Amdt. 1520 to S.Amdt. 1730 to S. 1813: Vote 24, 3/1/12 - The Blunt Amendment.
  • Office of Sen. Ayotte: Press Release, 6/30/14 - U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) released the following statement today regarding the Supreme Court's decision on religious liberty in the case Burwell v. Hobby Lobby.
  • Department of Health & Human Services: 8/1/13 - Because of the Affordable Care Act, 76 million Americans with private health insurance gained preventive service coverage with no cost-sharing, including 382,000 in New Hampshire.

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