Low-Income Access Program

Expanding Access to Birth Control

“Expanding Medicaid Coverage for EC on the State Level”

The Low-Income Access Program (LIAP) is working with advocates across the country to ensure state Medicaid programs provide coverage for emergency contraception (EC). In the spring of 2007, the National Institute conducted a national survey of state Medicaid offices to determine whether they were providing coverage for over-the-counter EC without a prescription. We found that most states still require women to have a prescription in order to receive Medicaid coverage for EC. In June, the National Institute released a report, “Expanding Medicaid Coverage for EC on the State Level,” summarizing the findings of our national survey and outlining how eight states have addressed this problem by changing their Medicaid policies to cover over-the-counter EC. The report concludes with advocacy strategies to expand Medicaid coverage for EC. This report should be used in conjunction with National Health Law Program’s report, Over the Counter or Out of Reach? A Report on Evolving State Medicaid Policies for Covering Emergency Contraception (June '07)

Low-Income Contraceptive Access Coalition

LIAP co-coordinates the Low-Income Contraceptive Access Coalition, a coalition of advocates working at the local, state, and national level to expand access to emergency contraception for low-income women. Click here for more information about the coalition and how to get involved.

Grants to Expand Birth Control Access

The Low-Income Access Program (LIAP) gave out six grants in April 2008 to state and local groups that are implementing programs that work to expand access to birth control, including EC, for low-income women. Click here to learn more about LIAP's 2008 grantees.

Expanding Access to Abortion

State-Based Resources to Expand Abortion Access

LIAP, in conjunction with NARAL Pro-Choice New York, recently updated the Book of Choices, an unbiased guide to New York State resources for women facing unintended pregnancies. The online guide provides information about clinics and medical centers that provide abortion care, and what payment methods are accepted, including information on financial assistance. In addition, the guide provides adoption, pregnancy, and parenting resources for women who decide to continue with their pregnancy. The guide also provides information on preventing pregnancy, including explanations of birth control methods and information on where to obtain emergency contraception. The guide is available online here.  

The Book of Choices is an excellent tool to inform women about their resources when facing an unintended pregnancy. This model has been replicated in other states and could be utilized in a variety of locales. Please contact LIAP if you would like to learn more about the model and how to create a Book of Choices for your area.

In addition, LIAP, in conjunction with NARAL Pro-Choice New York, recently created a guide for abortion providers entitled Resource Guide for New York State Abortion Providers: Helping Low-Income Women Pay for Abortions in New York State.  The guide includes information about state public health insurance coverage of abortion as well as abortion funds (grassroots organizations that provide financial assistance and housing for women seeking abortions who do not qualify for public health insurance coverage). In addition, the guide includes resources for non-judgmental post-abortion counseling, as well as resources for women in sexual and domestic violence situations and who are suffering from drug and alcohol abuse.

Please contact LIAP if you would like to learn more about either model and if you are interested in creating similar resources for your area.

Medicaid Funding for Abortion

LIAP is working with advocates across the country to help expand Medicaid coverage of abortion and to help end the dangerous Hyde Amendment, which prevents federal funds from covering abortions for Medicaid beneficiaries except in the most horrendous situations of rape, incest and life endangerment.

Previously, LIAP worked with a coalition of advocates in Pennsylvania to remove obstacles women faced when attempting to access Medicaid funding for abortions. With the support of the project, the Pennsylvania advocates made great strides addressing and removing these barriers. For more information, read LIAP and the Women Law Project's 2004 report, Removing Barriers to Medicaid-Funded Abortion: What Advocates Can Learn From the Pennsylvania Experience.

Expanding Access to Health Care

Resources

The Low-Income Access Program, in collaboration with NARAL Pro-Choice New York, recently created the Resource Guide on Free and Low-Cost Reproductive Health Care in New York City. This guide lists specific resources for women who are uninsured and unsure where to access free or low-cost reproductive health care in New York City. The guide is a compact listing of a range of services uninsured women and men can obtain, including information on how to apply for public health insurance, where to access free health care, how to obtain low-cost prescription medicines and where low-cost or free services for specific populations, such as the LGBT community and immigrant women, can be accessed.

Quicksheets

LIAP has created "Quick Sheets" which provide information about health care access and Medicaid in an easy, printable format for advocates. 

• Medicaid and Reproductive Health
• Medicaid: A Women's Health Program
• Uninsured Women's Access to Care

Universal Health Care

LIAP is currently working with other national, state and local advocates to ensure that comprehensive reproductive health care will be included in a universal health care program. Stay tuned for more information about our efforts!

Previous Work

In 2002, the National Institute and the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) put together a report entitled, Protecting Reproductive Health Care for Low-Income Women: An Advocate's Organization Guide which provides background information on a number of barriers facing low-income women, and includes profiles of state advocacy campaigns and key facts. Each section concludes with a detailed resources section including publications, websites and organizations that can aid advocates.