Planned Parenthood: SCOTUS Birth Control Ruling Hurts Low-Income Women Most

The Supreme Court has upheld a Trump administration rule allowing businesses and organizations with religious objections to opt out of the Affordable Care Act’s mandate on birth control coverage. 

“People who are living paycheck to paycheck are really gonna struggle choose to go without it.” — Lori Carpentier, Planned Parenthood of Michigan

Planned Parenthood of Michigan

Planned Parenthood estimates nearly two million women in Michigan have free access to contraception through their employer-provided health insurance. Federal estimates say the Trump administration rule changes would cause at least 70,000 women nationally to lose contraception coverage. 

Lori Carpentier is the President of Planned Parenthood of Michigan. She says the high court’s decision will mean fewer women will be able afford contraception and could lead to a rise in unwanted pregnancies and abortions. 

“I can tell you that for people who are living paycheck to paycheck and below what we believe to be minimum wage standards are really gonna struggle with this and some will choose to go without it,” Carpentier says.

Carpentier says without insurance coverage, women will pay between $70 and $100 dollars per month for birth control.

“I think people were already pressed upon in this time of the COVID pandemic,” she says. “If they’ve lost their job they might have lost their health care and now people who may be barely employed will also add one more expense they were not intending.”