Today, 45.7 million Americans have no health insurance, and an additional 25 million are underinsured, meaning they have insurance, but it does not adequately cover their medical expenses.1/2 One in five non-elderly women is uninsured, and more than 17 million women need publicly supported reproductive health care.3/4 The demand for health care is urgent and the value of prevention, a cornerstone of Planned Parenthood services, is self-evident.

Planned Parenthood believes that all of us benefit from healthy communities and healthy families, in which every person has access to high-quality, affordable, and confidential health care from a provider of choice. Ensuring such access is a critical step in eliminating the poor health and gross health care disparities experienced by so many in this country. We support a health care system that prioritizes prevention, and ensures that all individuals have the information and services they need to stay safe and healthy.

Accordingly, any health care reform proposal must guarantee:

Health care in the United States is driven by a patchwork of services and financing. Americans access health care services in a variety of ways — from private physicians’ offices, to public hospitals, to safety-net health centers like Planned Parenthood. This diverse network of health care providers is supported by an equally diverse set of funding streams.

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s most trusted reproductive health care provider. ONE IN FOUR women has visited a Planned Parenthood health center in her lifetime. The vast majority of our patients (75%) live at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, earning less than $21,200 for a family of four, making Planned Parenthood an integral part of America’s health care safety-net.

List of Essential Benefits