Senate Passes Reproductive Health Parity Act of 2020
Contact Name: Sara Persechino
Phone: (603) 271-3479
Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us
CONCORD - Today, the Senate passed HB 685, known as the Reproductive Health Parity Act of 2020, 14-10. The language of the bill mirrors SB 486, passed by the Senate in March, requires insurance plans which cover maternity benefits to provide coverage for emergency or elective abortion services. This bill next goes to the House of Representatives for a concurrence vote, which requires a simple majority.
After the vote, Senator Cindy Rosenwald (D-Nashua) issued the following statement:
“In these uncertain economic times when the insurance market has been disrupted by COVID-19 and forthcoming rules from the Trump administration jeopardize access to safe, legal abortion care, it is critical that we move forward with protections for reproductive health care. The Reproductive Health Parity Act builds on the progress made last session when Senate Democrats led the charge to enshrine essential health benefits of the Affordable Care Act into state law and require New Hampshire insurers to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment.
Everyone deserves the right to make decisions that are best for themselves and their families without the fear of crushing financial burden or discriminatory attacks. It is time for New Hampshire to join the seven other states, including Maine and Connecticut that have already passed laws guaranteeing full reproductive health care and reducing barriers for women when making their constitutionally protected decisions.”
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