Thank You Gov. Doyle for Signing the Budget & Prevention First Initiatives!

On June 29, Governor Doyle signed the state budget and the prevention first initiatives into law: Contraceptive Equity, Prescription Protection, and expansion of the Family Planning Waiver!!

Take Action!  Thank Governor Doyle for being a champion for women's health!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Thank you for signing the budget and the prevention first initiatives!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

Thank you for signing the budget and the prevention first initiatives--including Contraceptive Equity, Prescription Protection and expanding the Family Planning Waiver to include men.

Birth control is basic health care used by over 90% of women during their lifetimes. The Contraceptive Equity and Prescription Protection initiatives will help end gender discrimination in insurance coverage, and ensure no woman is refused her prescription at the pharmacy counter again.

And by expanding the Family Planning Waiver, the state will save an additional $585,300 over two years and provide very needed cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and pregnancy prevention health care to thousands of low-income men.

Thank you again for being a champion for women's health and signing the budget and these critical prevention first initiatives!

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
June 30, 2009


Background Information

Contraceptive Equity:

~ Contraceptive Equity requires insurance plans that cover prescription drugs to also include coverage for prescription contraceptives. 27 states already have Contraceptive Equity laws.

~ Most women spend approximately 30 years trying to post-pone or avoid pregnancy. And over 90% of women use at least one kind of contraceptive method during this time.

~ Because of the lack of coverage, women spend 68% more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men.

Prescription Protection:

~ Prescription Protection will help ensure that no woman is refused her birth control prescription at the pharmacy counter in Wisconsin again!  All pharmacies would be required to have someone available to dispense safe, legal birth control prescriptions.

~ Birth control is basic health care used by over 90% of women at some point in their lives.

~ Yet, across the country and here in Wisconsin, pharmacists are refusing to fill birth control prescriptions at the pharmacy counter, putting their personal beliefs ahead of women's health.

Family Planning Waiver:

~ The expansion of the Family Planning Waiver includes providing family planning health care such as sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment for low-income men.

~ Publicly-funded family planning services provide critical health care to low-income women, men and teens, including cancer screenings, breast exams, STI testing and treatment, and access to birth control.

~ For each $1.00 spent on family planning services, $4.02 is saved by preventing unintended pregnancies and providing preventive health care.  Since 2003 when the Family Planning Waiver was implemented, it has saved the state $487 million.


Learn more at www.ppawi.org/legislation