Nita Lowey: “as my colleagues know, the Treasury-Postal bill originally contained the Lowey contraceptive coverage language providing…”

“as my colleagues know, the Treasury-Postal bill originally contained the Lowey contraceptive coverage language providing Federal employees with contraceptive coverage. I offer now an amendment that allows this House a fair and open debate on contraceptives. This amendment, if passed, will restore language providing contraceptive coverage for Federal employees. My amendment also respects the rights of religious plans that as a matter of conscience choose not to cover contraceptives. The amendment clearly exempts those plans. Although all but one of the FEHBP plans covers sterilization, only 10 percent cover the five most basic, most widely used forms of contraception, and 81 percent only cover some of the five methods. Contraception, Mr. Chairman, is basic health care for women. It allows couples to plan families, have healthier babies when they choose to conceive, and it makes abortion less necessary. Currently women of reproductive age spend 68 percent more in out-of-pocket costs than men, partly because of the cost of contraceptives. Plans refuse to cover contraceptives because they know that, if forced to, women will pay for it themselves. On average, women using the pill pay $25 a month. That is $300 a year for their prescriptions. It is important to understand what we are talking about when we talk about contraceptive methods. We are not talking about abortion. We are not talking about RU-486 or any other abortion method.”