Low-Income Women's Access to Family Planning

New York provides increased access to reproductive health care services through a Section 1115 waiver.  As part of this waiver, the state is allowed to cover family planning services for men and women with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level who are not otherwise eligible for Medicaid, and for women who lose Medicaid eligibility after the 60-day postpartum period who are not otherwise eligible for other federal or state health care programs.  Eligibility lasts for one year.  

Covered services include: pregnancy testing and counseling; reproductive health information, education and counseling services; all FDA-approved birth control methods, devices and supplies, including emergency contraception; comprehensive protective health history and physical examination; prevention and treatment of STDs; screening, testing, ambulatory treatment and referral for treatment of dysmenorrhea, cervical cancer or other genito-urinary abnormality identified in family planning services, and treatment for conditions impacting contraceptive choice; HIV counseling and testing; emergency services directly related to the contraceptive method; male and female sterilization; preconception counseling and preventive screening, including review of reproductive history, counseling for healthy lifestyles and screening for conditions impacting on a healthy pregnancy.  

The waiver will expire on Sept. 30, 2009.  

N.Y. Partnership Plan Section 1115 Demonstration Fact Sheet, Ctrs. for Medicare and Medicaid Servs., Oct. 1, 2006 at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MedicaidStWaivProgDemoPGI/downloads/New%20York%20Partnership%20Plan%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf (last visited Dec. 5, 2008); N.Y. Medicaid Demonstration Project For Family Planning Expansion Program; NARAL Pro-Choice America Survey of State Medicaid Offices