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NJ closer to boosting Planned Parenthood funding, expanding coverage for birth control

Stacey Barchenger | December 6, 2019 | North Jersey Record |

 

Planned Parenthood would get millions in state funding and some health insurers would have to cover the cost of contraceptives — even if they have religious objections — under two bills headed to votes in the New Jersey Senate.

One bill dedicates $9.5 million in state funds for organizations including Planned Parenthood that provide family planning services and abortions, but that withdrew from a federal funding program earlier this year. The Senate budget committee passed the bill Thursday.

A second bill was part of a package announced in May that seeks to preserve the Affordable Care Act in New Jersey despite amendments at the federal level. The bill would expand the types of contraceptives available at no cost to patients and eliminate the religious exemption for some insurers.

“Contraception was named as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” bill sponsor Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, said in a statement Tuesday. “That was 20 years ago, whether or not insurance plans cover contraceptives shouldn’t be a question today.”

 

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