Idaho bill to expand contraceptives access sent to House floor after narrow committee vote

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — A bill to expand birth control access is making its way to the Idaho House floor after it passed in a House Business Committee hearing Monday afternoon.

Senate Bill 1234, which previously passed the Senate in a 19-16 vote, would require that insurance companies provide up to a six month supply of prescribed contraceptives to enrollees. The bill’s main sponsor, Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, previously said the bill would make it easier for women who only have access to a one or three month supply of contraceptives under their current insurance plan.

The bill passed the House Business Committee in a 9-7 vote. There was limited time for testimony during the hearing, but three people spoke in support of the bill, including individuals with health care backgrounds.

Julie Bouchard, a retired obstetrician gynecologist, testified in support of the bill. She said the bill would alleviate some of the barriers women seeking reproductive health care in Idaho face. She said there is a shortage of women’s health providers, which makes it harder for women to access contraceptives.

“This legislation is important to me because I spent 35 years providing women’s health care,” she said. “I’ve delivered hundreds of babies, hundreds of Idahoans that may be your children… Access to comprehensive family planning creates healthier communities and results in cost savings to states, families and insurance companies.”

The bill is moving forward to the House floor with a recommendation that it pass. If the bill passes the House, it would head to the governor for consideration.

Most Idaho conservatives support birth control access, survey shows

As Senate Bill 1234 makes its way through the Statehouse, a recent survey shows that most Idahoans support contraceptives access.

The survey, “Idaho Contraceptive Research,” was conducted by GS Strategy Group and the Idaho Contraceptives Education Network — a nonprofit focused on educating Idahoans about contraceptive options. It surveyed 500 Idahoans between September and October, of which 51% of respondents said they consider themselves “very conservative,” and 76% said they consider themselves anti-abortion.

Highlights of the survey include:

• Support for birth control access is strong: 83% of respondents agreed that all people in Idaho should have affordable access to contraception.
• Idahoans believe birth control is important: 85% of respondents said contraceptives are important to reduce unplanned pregnancies and abortion
• Idahoans want policies in place: 46% of respondents said they think lawmakers should enact policies to make it easier to access birth control, while 37% said they think lawmakers should keep access the same as it is now.

“The overwhelming support among Idaho conservatives for contraceptive access reflects a shared understanding that birth control is vital both to individual well-being and to the overall health of our communities,” Kelley Packer, a former Idaho House Representative and board member of the education network, said in a press release.