Legislature Sends FY2024 Budget To Gov. Healey’s Desk With Critical Investments to Expand Contraception Access, Address Maternal Health Crisis
BOSTON (August 1, 2023) – The Massachusetts House and Senate enacted its FY2024 budget yesterday with critical provisions and investments to expand contraception access and address the maternal health crisis in Massachusetts. The budget, which now heads to Governor Maura Healey’s desk for her signature, also includes a continued $2 million investment to support abortion access and infrastructure in the state.
To expand access to contraceptive care, the budget includes:
An amendment, based on legislation introduced by Senator Michael Moore, Representative Lindsay Sabadosa, and Representative Christine Barber, that expands the authority for pharmacists in Massachusetts to directly prescribe and dispense some forms of hormonal birth control, including contraceptive patches and oral contraceptives. Twenty-nine states currently authorize pharmacists to prescribe hormonal birth control.
A continued investment of $500,000 for the Department of Public Health to expand its public education campaign on Massachusetts’ ACCESS Law. The 2017 ACCESS Law enables eligible individuals to receive a year’s supply of no-cost birth control — including the pill, patches, rings, or injectable birth control — with just one visit to the pharmacy. It also makes emergency contraception available at no cost with a prescription from a clinician or through a standing order.
Following sobering new maternal morbidity data from the Department of Public Health this month, the budget included:
An amendment, introduced by Senator Liz Miranda, to invest $1,000,000 to help establish and scale up birth centers across Massachusetts. With just one freestanding birth center in western Massachusetts, most people in Massachusetts do not have access to birth centers for their pregnancy care, though the birth center model is proven to improve maternal and infant health outcomes—including fewer C-section interventions and fewer preterm births. Birth centers also reduce health care costs.
$350,000 for the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee (MMMRC) to improve its operations and encourage consistent case review and reporting of findings and recommendations. MMMRC is a volunteer group of health care and public health professionals, researchers, and patient advocates who, in coordination with support staff from the Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition team, review maternal deaths and pregnancy complications, and make recommendations to improve maternal outcomes and prevent maternal mortality and morbidity.
“Today’s budget is a true statement of values. Not only did the Legislature respond to continued attacks on reproductive health care by expanding access to contraception, but it allocated critically important funding to address the maternal health crisis in Massachusetts,” said Reproductive Equity Now President Rebecca Hart Holder. “This budget recognizes that barriers to reproductive health care still exist in our Commonwealth and puts bold investments forward to ensure that every person—especially Black and Latino birthing people in our state—have the freedom to control their own reproductive destiny. We are grateful to Senator Liz Miranda, Senator Michael Moore, Representative Lindsay Sabadosa, and Representative Christine Barber for their tireless work to get these provisions over the finish line, and to Senate President Karen Spilka, House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Chairmen Aaron Michlewitz and Michael Rodrigues for their continued commitment to reproductive equity.”
“With the recent and devastating news that severe mortality and morbidity have nearly doubled over the last 10 years in Massachusetts, I’m incredibly thrilled that our amendment to support non-profit, freestanding birth centers and related CBO’s has been included in the FY24 Budget,” said Senator Liz Miranda. “Birth centers provide midwifery-led prenatal, birth, and postpartum care, a model proven to improve maternal and infant health outcomes, while cutting disparities for Black and Latino women and birthing people. I'm grateful to our Senate leadership team for believing in this work and prioritizing this investment.”
“Hormonal birth control is one of the safest and most effective ways to prevent unplanned pregnancy and support family planning, but many women find this critical medication difficult to obtain here in Massachusetts. With the passage of the FY24 Budget, it will be easier than ever before to access this critical medication,” said Senator Michael Moore. “The passage of this amendment will allow local pharmacists to evaluate patients and prescribe hormonal contraceptives when appropriate – something 27 states and D.C. already allow in some form. I am so grateful for the partnership of Representatives Lindsay Sabadosa and Christine Barber in getting this legislation to Governor Healey’s desk, as well as for the countless organizations and advocates that have tirelessly worked to bring awareness to this issue. We are taking a big step toward lowering barriers that prevent women from getting the birth control they need and addressing disparities in contraceptive access for those in historically underserved areas.”
“As some states restrict and diminish access to reproductive healthcare, I am proud that we are not only protecting but expanding access to hormonal birth control in the Commonwealth,” said Representative Lindsay Sabadosa. “Contraception is basic, necessary healthcare.”
“I am thrilled at the inclusion of access to hormonal contraception in the conference committee budget,” said Representative Christine Barber. “Allowing pharmacists to prescribe hormonal birth control significantly increases access and further establishes Massachusetts as a haven for reproductive health care.”
The budget also includes a $1 million investment to reimburse the University of Massachusetts for its purchase of mifepristone this April.
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