On July 21, 2011, the Des Moines Register ran an editorial which stated that, while they have "long supported women's reproductive rights," they did not agree with the Institute of Medicine's recommended guidelines (which were later adopted by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services -- see above), that preventative care for women -- including birth control -- be covered at no additional cost to the patient. The Register's editorial board felt that free health care too often results in overuse of health care. "This is exactly why co-payments and deductibles are necessary in health insurance. They help to prevent the overuse of care, something Americans are globally notorious for." Sally Pederson, executive director of The Iowa Initiative, and Jodi Tomlonovic, our partner at the Family Planning Council of Iowa, responded with a guest editorial and letter to the editor explaining that birth control is not something that can be "overused," and that the cost of providing such preventative services far outweighs the cost of paying millions for the unintended pregnancies that would result without those services.
 

Sally Pederson: Birth control can improve lives of young people and their families (Guest Editorial), Des Moines Register, July 29, 2011

Jodi Tomlonovic: Register shortsighted on birth control (Letter to the Editor), Des Moines Register, August 9, 2011  

Also, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) sounded their support for the measure in a statement.

Web Site Design by ZLRIGNITION  |  Website design & hosting by Visionary Services, Inc.