Advocates Call on Lawmakers to Deliver on Reproductive Health Before Session Ends
HARTFORD (April 28, 2025) – With only one week left in the legislative session, reproductive rights advocates, medical professionals, and community leaders gathered today at the Connecticut General Assembly to press lawmakers to act now and pass critical reproductive health legislation.
Advocates focused their lobbying efforts on advancing the following key legislative priorities:
Strengthen protections for providers and patients delivering reproductive and gender-affirming care, including via telehealth
Ensure providers can give accurate information, counseling, and referrals without fear of punishment
Expand access to fertility care coverage for all families, including LGBTQ+ individuals and those on Medicaid
Guarantee 12-month coverage for contraception and hormone therapy to prevent gaps in care
Increase Medicaid reimbursement rates to support providers and protect access to essential care
Advance research and policy solutions for endometriosis
Ensure workplace protections and accommodations for menopause-related conditions and improve diagnosis and treatment of menopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause
“The clock is ticking,” said Liz Gustafson, Connecticut State Director, Reproductive Equity Now. “With just a week left in the legislative session, lawmakers must act now to move critical reproductive health bills across the finish line—including bolstering our state’s shield law to protect all licensed providers, including those seeking to provide care via telehealth, regardless of a patient's zip code. These policies are essential to protecting patients and providers and ensuring access to care, especially as out-of-state attacks escalate.”
“The federal government has doubled down on their agenda to defund and dismantle access to sexual and reproductive health care nationwide, and it is more important than ever that patients across Connecticut have access to affordable and quality care at their trusted provider,” said Gretchen Raffa, Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. “As a leader in advancing reproductive freedom, Connecticut must invest in long-term funding opportunities–including increased Medicaid reimbursement rates–for family planning services and providers to ensure continued access to care for everyone, regardless of their insurance status."
“As providers, we are committed to showing up for our patients—no matter what. But we need policies that protect our ability to do that,” said Iyanna Liles, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). “Connecticut has been a leader in safeguarding access to reproductive health care, and at a time when that care is under attack nationwide, it is essential that we continue to lead by advancing these critical protections and expanding access for all.”
Organizations represented included Reproductive Equity Now, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Planned Parenthood Southern New England, and the Connecticut Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives.
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