Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today announced Assembly passage of a revised version of the Women's Health and Wellness legislation. The bill seeks to increase insurance coverage for contraceptives and remove financial barriers to vital preventative health care services.

In announcing the bill's passage, Silver reiterated the Assembly Majority's commitment to ensuring quality, accessible health care for New York's women.

"For more than four years, the Assembly has sought to enact comprehensive women's health care legislation. We have passed bills and attempted to negotiate with the Senate for the benefit of women throughout this state. At every step the Senate resisted these efforts," said Silver, whose call for a conference committee in February to negotiate this legislation publicly was rebuffed by the Senate.

"In an effort to enact this much-needed measure, the Assembly has put forward this bill," said Silver. "It is my hope and my expectation that the Senate will finally hear the voices of New York's women and do the right thing by passing this revised legislation."

According to Silver, the bill passed by the Assembly is an amended version of the Senate's women's health bill. The legislation (Assembly Reprint 30001) incorporates the contraceptive coverage proposal advanced by the Senate, but includes a provision allowing all women to access contraceptives prescribed as medical treatment. Additional amendments close insurance company loopholes that limit access to mammograms and cervical cancer screenings. The bill also requires insurance coverage for bone density measurements and other drug therapies used to detect and treat osteoporosis.

"The Assembly will not accept anything less than the bill we passed today. Women should not have to wait until they are 50 years old to have access to annual mammograms; nor should their ability to undergo mammograms or cervical cancer screenings be restricted by costly co-pays or deductibles," said Silver.

"Women can no longer be treated as second-class citizens in our state's health care system," said Assemblymember Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan), sponsor of the Assembly's Women's Health and Wellness legislation. "This revised bill directly responds to the health needs of New York's women, and it is my hope that after all this time, the Senate will embrace it and pass it in a timely manner."

"Largely overlooked in the debate over contraceptive coverage is the fact that oral contraceptives are used to treat numerous medical conditions," said Assemblyman Alexander "Pete" Grannis (D-Manhattan), who chairs the Assembly's Insurance Committee. "This amendment would ensure that no exclusions will stand between a woman and the medicine her health care provider prescribes for her to get better or stay well."

"The breast and cervical cancer and osteoporosis issues are life and death. People have to decide whether to protect insurance companies or women's health," said Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan), Assembly Health Committee Chair.

"One of the major provisions of this legislation is a bill I authored which would require health insurance policies that provide prescription drug coverage to include contraceptives. Women should no longer be forced to pay for a prescription that, in many cases, is medically necessary. Now that this issue is no longer in dispute, it is my hope that the Senate will work to advance this legislation," said Assemblymember Susan John (D-Rochester).

"During last year's conference committee negotiations, women's access to contraception was an issue that divided the Assembly and Senate. Now that there is agreement on this major issue, I expect that the Senate will pass this bill so women throughout the state will be able to receive life-saving health-care services," said Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (D-Queens).

"The American Cancer Society believes any legislation intended to protect women's health must provide a clear guarantee that all women 40 and older have access to annual mammograms," said Eva Sciandra, American Cancer Society Director of Breast Health Programs. "The Assembly bill meets that standard and, by doing so, ensures access to life-saving breast cancer screening for thousands of women in New York."

"Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assemblymember Deborah Glick have stood strong against allowing one religious group to dictate state health law through legislative action and they understood the importance of a strong bill that ends discrimination against women in health care," said Family Planning Advocates president JoAnn Smith.

"For four years now, the state Assembly has demonstrated the vision and leadership to pass comprehensive legislation which would meet the preventative health care needs of all women in New York State. The Women's Health and Wellness Act finally will bring an end to discrimination by insurers who refuse to cover contraceptive care. Because of this legislation, more women will detect threatening diseases at the earliest stages of development. To address these health issues in one bill is unprecedented in New York state, and will serve as a model for the rest of the nation," said Kelli Conlin, Executive Director of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League of New York State.

Conlin added, "Today yet again demonstrates the Assembly's extraordinary commitment on this critical issue. The Women's Health and Wellness Act is the single most important piece of pro-choice legislation since New York State legalized abortion over thirty years ago. We applaud Speaker Silver, Assembly sponsor Deborah Glick and the state Assembly for taking up this important piece of legislation."