Why It Matters
The US health care system should provide all US residents with a basic level of quality health care at an affordable cost. Basic care includes disease prevention, primary care (including prenatal and reproductive health), acute and long-term care, mental health care, and health promotion and education. Health care policy goals should include the equitable distribution of services and delivery of care, advancement of medical research and technology, and a reasonable total national expenditure level.
The League of Women Voters believes that public policy must affirm the right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices and that every individual should have access to quality health care at an affordable cost.
What We're Doing
Over the past 20 years, we have lobbied for health care policy solutions, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), to control costs and ensure basic care for all. Throughout the health care debates of the past few decades, Leagues worked to provide millions of Americans across the country with objective information about the health care system and its significant reforms. This included organizing community education projects, holding public forums and debates, creating and distributing resource materials, and engaging leading policymakers and analysts.
LWV is proud to partner with leaders in the abortion rights space to promote everyone's right to bodily autonomy. The restoration of reproductive rights is a central tenant in our Women's Inequality Day campaign.
“The Florida League of Women Voters is doing its part to help educate consumers about what is actually in the law — how it affects your health, your family and your pocketbook. We're urging the state to take steps toward a Florida Health Care Exchange.”
“The debate over contraception continues as Arizona lawmakers work on a bill that would let employers ask women if they use contraception. ... This story got us talking about women's rights, so we brought in experts to examine the issue in detail. ... Dr. Teresa Bratton is with the [AZ] League of Women Voters.”
“Betsy McBride of the League of Women Voters, said, ‘If an ultrasound procedure is not medically necessary, the Legislature should not require that a doctor or an ultrasound technologist perform such a procedure against the will of the patient. … There is no legitimate reason to endorse this bill, which is an assault on Idaho women’s right to privacy.’”
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