Linda McMahon’s Campaign Belittles the Need for Affordable Health Care
Christian Miron
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Christian Miron
September 12, 2012 (203) 202-4060
Linda McMahon’s Campaign Belittles the Need for Affordable Health Care
NEW HAVEN, CT—Christian Miron, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut, blasted Linda McMahon’s campaign for its insensitive comments on women’s access to affordable birth control on Monday, September 10th.
“The McMahon campaign’s attempt to minimize the need for affordable health care is appalling,” Miron said. “Instead of supporting near-universal health care for Connecticut’s families, Linda McMahon supports the Blunt Amendment, which would allow your boss to deny contraceptive coverage for any reason. This should serve as a chilling reminder of what’s at stake this election.”
The Blunt Amendment would have allowed corporations and insurance companies to refuse to cover birth control and other essential health benefits, including maternity care, HIV/AIDS treatment, and cancer screenings.
Miron said while birth control is considered critical to women’s health, one of the most significant barriers to accessing it is its cost. “Paying out of pocket for contraception can result in annual fees of more than $700. Over the span of a woman’s reproductive years, the cost of contraception can amount to more than $20,000,” said Miron.
“This is an economic issue for women,” Miron said. “For many, the cost of birth control is prohibitive, especially during a time when families are having trouble making ends meet. Providing universal no-cost birth control coverage is essential to increasing access to critical preventative-health care. Linda McMahon either doesn’t care or doesn’t get it—I’ll leave it to the women of Connecticut to decide which is worse.”
Miron went on to call the McMahon campaign out of touch with Connecticut voters. “Linda McMahon isn’t living in the same world as the rest of us if her campaign believes most women pay “four dollars” for reliable birth control.”
###
NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut is the leading grassroots pro‑choice advocacy organization in Connecticut. NARAL Pro‑Choice Connecticut works to protect every woman’s right to access the full range of reproductive health options, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion.