Planned Parenthood Calls Ruling ‘Profound’

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act will have a “profound and concrete impact” on millions of people’s lives, Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards said Thursday. She said the law will “provide access to birth control and cancer screenings without copays, guaranteed direct access to OB-GYN providers without referrals, and an end to discriminatory practices against women, such as charging women higher premiums and denying coverage for preexisting conditions.” Planned Parenthood said more than 45 million women have already received coverage for preventive health screenings—including mammograms and Pap tests—at no cost since August 2010 due to the Affordable Care Act. In addition, the group said, 3.1 million young adults have already been able to stay on their parents’ insurance. Furthermore, starting in August, birth control will be “treated like any other preventive prescription under the Affordable Care Act” and will be available without copays or deductibles, Richards said.