Birth control is a woman's choice, not a corporation's business
AURORA - July 16, 2014. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon advocated for women's access to comprehensive health care coverage today following a tour of a Planned Parenthood health center in suburban Chicago.
Simon said that women should be able to make their own health care decisions without cost or other barriers standing in the way, regardless of where they live or work.
"A woman's decision to use birth control is a personal one, and her corporate employer should not be able to interfere with it," Simon said.
Simon's visit to Planned Parenthood's Aurora Health Center comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that some for-profit businesses can use religious objections to deny access to full birth control coverage to female employees. This will prevent some women, particularly those working low-wage jobs, from getting birth control.
Legislation to override the decision was blocked by GOP Senators today.
The Affordable Care Act requires all insurance policies to cover birth control with no out-of-pocket costs to women, categorizing it as women's basic preventative care. The Supreme Court ruled that for-profit companies owned by a family or small group of individuals can be exempt from the federal rule based on the owners' religious beliefs.
Those for-profit companies will still be required to provide birth control with a co-pay under Illinois law, unless they are self-insured (like Hobby Lobby) or receive a state exemption under the Health Care Right of Conscience Act.
"I am proud to live in a state that protects a woman's right to make private medical decisions. I urge all Illinois lawmakers to stand in support of women, not in the way of their health care," Simon said.
Simon chairs the Governor's Rural Affairs Council and has worked to improve women's health care in underserved areas.
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