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It is important that we continue standing with young women across the country. It is time to take action and ensure that all student health plans comply with providing preventive services like contraception by August 2012. Universities that do not currently offer contraception coverage can apply for a waiver giving them until August 2013 to start offering birth control coverage. Sadly, during this unnecessary delay, young people will be the ones to pay the price. Make sure that your College or University President complies immediately and have them sign the pledge! The timeline for Colleges and Universities to make a decision about student health insurance compliance will happen by May. If you want to ensure that your institution includes contraception coverage, call the head of student health insurance, set up a meeting with your Vice President of Student Affairs, and meet the President of your school. If you need more information about how to do advocacy on your campus and talking points about the new health mandate please check out the Tips for Meeting with Administrators toolkit from Campus Progress! As you know, half of young women have been unable to use their contraception consistently because of prohibitive costs. Ensuring that all student health plans - plans where students already cover the entire premium - cover contraception means young women are one step closer to accessing the services they need when making the responsible decision to prevent an unintended pregnancy. If you are finding that your school is hesitant to sign the pledge then get other students on your campus to petition your school’s president! All young people, regardless of what school they attend when pursuing a higher education, deserve access to basic preventive care. If you would like to make this announcement in your local or school paper here is a sample letter to the editor. 
February 2012 — President Obama has reaffirmed that women will be able to access no-copay birth control. If your employer has decided not to provide contraceptive coverage on religious grounds, insurance companies will be required to provide no-copay birth control coverage to you directly. While the Catholic Health Association has already come out in support of this solution, Republicans in Congress are only increasing their efforts to roll back birth control access. |
Sample Op-Ed School Pledge Tips for Meeting with Administrators Click one of the valentines below to download and print one out! Sign your name and take a photo, and then post it on Facebook or email your valentine to BC4US2012@gmail.com.* Starting February 14, tweet your valentine photo to your Senators and @SpeakerBoehner along with the hashtag #BC4US.
Congress, Listen Up or We're Breaking Up
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