Send a Pro-Choice Message

Your action is urgently needed. Please tell President Barack Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius not to give in to demands from the Conference of Catholic Bishops that would expand the religious exemption and deny birth control coverage with no-copays for millions of women.

One of the most popular benefits of health care reform, the Affordable Care Act, is preventive care for women – requiring health insurers to cover birth control, mammograms, and PAP tests without any co-pays. Voters resoundingly support this benefit, including 77% of Catholic women.

Yet this benefit could be lost for millions of Americans and their families, and the decision will be made by the Obama administration in the next few days. Please take action now by sending a message to President Obama and to pro-choice members of Congress, asking them to weigh in with the administration.

The Catholic bishops want to exempt the health insurance of every religiously-connected institution from this requirement, and millions of Americans would lose this benefit – students, teachers and staff at religiously-connected schools and universities; social workers, nurses, and other staff (and their families) at religiously-affiliated hospitals that employ thousands of people, federally-funded social service organizations like Catholic Charities, and many more – regardless of the religious beliefs of those employees and students.

This coverage was recommended by the non-partisan Institute of Medicine, and there is no reason to take this benefit away from millions of Americans. Your action right now will make a difference.

Ellie Smeal President