April 27, 2023

Duckworth Joins Panel to Discuss Importance of Employers Supporting and Improving Women’s Full Access to Healthcare

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] —?Amid Republican efforts nationwide to roll back women’s rights and limit access to basic healthcare, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined a panel of women's health experts at the Business Group on Health’s Annual Conference to discuss a wide variety of federal policies needed to improve women’s health across the country. Senator Duckworth highlighted her efforts to help tackle our nation’s maternal health crisis, including her bill that was signed into law to help women Veterans. Additionally, she highlighted several of her own bills that would protect access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted reproductive technology (ART) that millions of Americans, including herself, have used to build their families. Photos of today’s event are available here.  

“As Republicans continue their all-out assault on basic healthcare state by state, employers across America can do more to support their workforce and make sure all women, regardless of where they live, have access to the healthcare they may need—from reproductive care to IVF and maternal care during pregnancy and beyond,” said Duckworth. “When employers empower women to make their own choices about their health, businesses can better recruit and retain top talent and lift up our entire economy. I’m proud I had the chance to join today’s panel to highlight these issues, and I’ll continue to do everything I can at the federal level to protect and expand affordable access to healthcare and enshrine every American’s right to choose—no matter their zip code.”  

Duckworth is a fierce advocate in protecting women’s right to access the healthcare they need. Last month, Duckworth re-introduced the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act, a bicameral bill that would help end the Hyde Amendment and lift unjust abortion coverage restrictions for individuals on government-sponsored plans or programs, including Medicaid. Duckworth also helped introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023, federal legislation to guarantee access to abortion across the country and restore the right to comprehensive reproductive healthcare for millions of Americans. Last year, Duckworth also introduced the Right to Build Families Act, legislation that would protect every American’s right to access IVF and other forms of ART. 

Additionally, Duckworth’s bipartisan Protecting Moms Who Served Act was signed into law to help address the maternal mortality crisis among women Veterans by helping improve care at VA facilities and shed light on the scope of this crisis, particularly among women of color. Duckworth also helped secure a provision in the American Rescue Plan, giving states a five-year option to extend healthcare coverage for new moms on Medicaid from 60 days after pregnancy to a full year. She championed a provision to permanently extend this state option, which was included in last year’s omnibus that President Biden signed into law.

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