Note:  I offer this post and links to add to the arsenal of information I'm sure you have already accumulated.  I hope you find it useful.

Under the guise of religious consciousness and First Amendment rights , Republicans are mounting an assault on women’s health and freedom that would deny millions of women access to affordable contraception. The attacks did not just begin, but have persisted since Republicans claimed the majority after the 2010 elections.  These are just a few of the attacks of the GOP’s war on women:

1) Republican Dan Burton has a bill to provide contraception for wild horses. All while they push to eliminate all funds for the only federal family planning program.  Birth Control for Horses, Not for Women

2) Republicans are trying to redefine rape. Forcible Rape' Language Remains In Bill To Restrict Abortion Funding

3) A state legislator in Georgia wants to change the legal term for victims of rape, stalking, and domestic violence to "accuser.  Extreme Abortion Coverage Ban Introduced

4) In South Dakota, Republicans proposed a bill that could make it legal to murder a doctor who provides abortion care.   South Dakota bill would legalize killing abortion doctors

5) In Congress, Republicans have a bill that would let hospitals allow a woman to die rather than perform an abortion necessary to save her life.  New GOP Bill Would Allow Hospitals To Let Women Die Instead Of Having An Abortion

6) Maryland Republicans ended all county money for a low-income kids' preschool program. Why? No need, they said. Women should really be home with the kids, not out working.  Republican Officials Cut Head Start Funding, Saying Women Should be Married and Home with Kids

7) Congress just voted for a Republican amendment to cut all federal funding from Planned Parenthood health centers, one of the most trusted providers of basic health care and family planning in our country.  House passes measure stripping Planned Parenthood funding

Following is a compilation of information that I hope you will find helpful and informative.  

From the National Conference of State Legislatures:

“An estimated 11.6 million American women use oral contraceptives, the leading method of contraceptive in the United States....Employer-based coverage is the primary form of health insurance for 64 percent of women of reproductive age. Almost all insurance plans cover prescription drugs, but many still do not cover the range of contraceptive drugs and devices that are approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA)....”

“At least 26 states have laws requiring insurers that cover prescription drugs also provide coverage for any Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved contraceptive.  These states include:

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

    •    An additional two states—Michigan± and Montana—require insurance coverage of contraceptives as a result of administrative ruling or an Attorney General opinion.

    •    Two states—Texas and Virginia—require that employers be offered the option to include coverage of contraceptives within their health plans.

    •    Some laws prohibit insurance plans from excluding contraceptive services or supplies.

    •    Some states include an exemption for employers who object to such coverage for religious reasons.

    •    Twenty states offer exemptions from contraceptive coverage (usually for religion) for insurers or employers in their policies:

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas and West Virginia. 

    •    Several states require employers to notify employees of their refusal to provide contraceptive coverage.”

A comprehensive chart of the Insurance Coverage for Contraception Laws.

From Guttmacher Institute:

U.S. TEEN PREGNANCY RATE AT LOWEST LEVEL IN NEARLY 40 YEARS

“Teen pregnancies have declined dramatically in the United States since their peak in the early 1990s, as have the births and abortions that result; in 2008, teen pregnancies reached their lowest level in nearly 40 years........Continuing decreases in teen pregnancy more recently may be driven by increased use of the most effective contraceptive methods as well as dual method use. In sum, teens appear to be making the decision to be more effective contraceptive users, and their actions are paying off in lower pregnancy, birth and abortion rates.”

State Legislation Enacted in 2011 Related to Reproductive Health

“...... a few states have enacted laws that specifically allow pharmacists or pharmacies to refuse to provide health care because of religious or moral objections. Several other states have broadly worded refusal clause statutes that also might apply in these circumstances. In addition, many states that have policies requiring insurance plans to cover contraception if they cover other prescription drugs have included exemptions to those requirements for certain religious employers or insurers.

13   states allow some health care providers to refuse to provide services related to contraception.

10   states allow individual health care providers to refuse to provide services related to contraception.

6    states explicitly permit pharmacists to refuse to dispense contraceptives. (5 additional states have
broad refusal clauses that do not specifically include pharmacists, but may apply to them.)

9    states allow health care institutions to refuse to provide services related to contraception; 5 states
limit the exemption to private entities.

As of January 1st, 2012, the following states had refusal clauses for contraception services:  

Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Florida
Illinois
Maine
Mississippi
Tennessee
Washington

From The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation:

The 2002 Kaiser/HRET survey finds that an increasing share of insured workers have coverage for oral contraceptives (Figure 1). In 2002, 78% of covered workers have coverage for oral contraceptives, up significantly from 64% of covered workers in 2001. The gap between coverage of oral contraceptives and other prescription drugs persists, but has narrowed in the past year.

From National Women’s Law Center

Religious Employers Are Currently Bound by Title VII Duty to Provide Contraceptive Coverage

Title VII does not allow religious organizations to discriminate on the basis of race, sex (including pregnancy-related conditions), national origin or religion in the provision of pay or benefits to their employees. The EEOC has addressed the issue squarely in the context of fringe benefits. It has determined that it is sex discrimination for a religious organization to deny benefits to women or to pay women less based on a religious belief, for example, that only men can be the head of a household.6

And, as discussed above, it is also sex discrimination to exclude contraceptives when other prescription drugs and preventive services are provided as a fringe benefit. Furthermore, the Title VII Bona Fide Occupational Qualification exemption applicable to religious employers is explicitly limited to hiring and employment only, and does not allow religious employers to discriminate in pay or benefits once an employee is hired.

Catholic Affiliated Institutions that Provide Contraceptive Coverage

Tell Your Senators to Reject Extreme Legislation

 “.... contraception opponents aren't giving up, even though 335,000 houses of worship are exempted from this policy..... They've filed court cases, they're pressuring politicians and they're taking to the airwaves and editorial pages in a coordinated effort to take away contraceptive coverage for women who need it to protect their health and the health of their families.”

Help to protect this important coverage -- sign the petition today!