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EQUAL ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTION FOR VETERANS ACT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 239) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for limitations on copayments for contraception furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 239
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act''.
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON COPAYMENTS FOR CONTRACEPTION.
Section 1722A(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``to pay'' and all that follows through the period and inserting ``to pay--''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
``(A) an amount in excess of the cost to the Secretary for medication described in paragraph (1); or
``(B) an amount for any contraceptive item for which coverage under health insurance coverage is required without the imposition of any cost-sharing requirement pursuant to section 2713(a)(4) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-13(a)(4)).''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each will control 20 minutes.
General Leave
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 239.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, contraception access is a crucial element of preventative healthcare and reduces the likelihood that a woman will live in poverty. Copay-free access to contraception is covered under every insurance program in this country, except at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
H.R. 239, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, would eliminate copays on contraceptive items at the Department of Veterans Affairs. I thank Congresswoman Brownley for introducing this bill and for her efforts as chair of the Subcommittee on Health and the Women Veterans Task Force.
Contraception is already widely available at VA, and veterans enrolled at VA can obtain oral contraceptions, shots, skin patches, vaginal rings, and long-acting reversible contraceptives, such as implants or intrauterine devices. In addition, the VA pharmacy dispenses over-the-counter contraceptives, including condoms and emergency contraception.
Even a small copay can be insurmountable for a veteran struggling to make ends meet. Eliminating copays ensures parity with both Federal insurers and private insurers, as mandated under the Affordable Care Act. Most of all, it eliminates an unnecessary financial burden on our veterans.
Furthermore, we know also that every tax dollar spent on family planning, such as contraception, ultimately saves seven times that amount.
Passing this bill is an essential element of both meeting the health and economic well-being of our Nation's veterans.
This legislation has the support of the VA, broad VSO support, and passed on suspension last Congress.
Again, I thank Chairwoman Julia Brownley for her leadership on this issue, and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 239.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 239, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act.
The bill would prohibit the VA from charging copayments to veterans for contraception.
Women are volunteering to serve our country in uniform in record numbers. When they separate from the service, they are seeking care from the VA in record numbers as well. Ensuring that those women receive the recognition, respect, and welcome they are owed is one of our highest priorities.
This bill would further that goal. I am glad to support it here today.
Copayments have been prohibited for contraception in the private sector for many years. This bill would bring the VA healthcare system in line with that precedent.
This bill passed the committee last year with unanimous, bipartisan support. One of those supporters was the former Republican leader of this committee, Dr. Roe. Dr. Roe, who is an OB/GYN, has decades of experience with women's health and reproductive care. Like me, he is also a steadfast defender of pro-life principles.
This bill also passed the House last Congress by voice vote. I hope that it can do so again this Congress.
The Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act was introduced by Congresswoman Brownley. I thank her for her continued efforts on behalf of women veterans and for introducing the bill.
Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in voting for this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley), my good friend, the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Health, and also the author of this important legislation.
Ms. BROWNLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 239, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, my bill to ensure that veterans have access to contraception coverage without any copay.
I thank the chairman for working with me to advance this legislation.
Because of the Affordable Care Act, women using civilian health insurance may access basic contraceptive services, like the pill or an IUD, without any copay. Active Duty servicemembers can also receive contraceptive care without any copay.
However, women veterans who receive healthcare through the VA do not have access to the same benefit.
Clearly, we need to fix this inequity.
The benefits of contraception are widely recognized.
Choosing when, or if, to have a family is essential to women's health and to their economic security.
Today, there are two million women veterans living in the United States, and women compromise the fastest growing subpopulation within the military and veteran populations; yet many of their health needs go unaddressed in a VA system that has not evolved to equitably serve a rapidly changing population.
As chairwoman of the Women Veterans Task Force and chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health, I have worked to identify disparities in healthcare for women veterans and, where necessary, introduce, advocate for, and pass legislation that eliminates these gaps.
Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country. It is past time that we ensure that they get the equitable healthcare they have earned and deserve.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 239.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member Bost for pointing out that the previous ranking member and previous chairman of this committee, an OB/GYN, Representative Roe, stood in firm support of this legislation. I know him to also be someone of very firm pro-life convictions. I am very proud of the bipartisan support that has gathered around Ms. Brownley's legislation.
Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 239.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROSENDALE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion are postponed.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 104
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