Nevada joins effort to overturn contraceptive coverage rollback

Attorney General Aaron Ford says Nevada is joining the coalition of states seeking to overturn the Trump administration’s rollback of contraceptive coverage.

The Trump administration wants to implement new regulations authorizing employers with objections to block the mandate they provide contraceptive care and services to employees and dependents.

The lawsuit by Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California seeks a national preliminary injunction stopping implementation of those new regulations.

“Access to contraception is a critical medical need for many Nevada women and essential to furthering women’s health and equality,” said Ford. “Contraception also reduces health care costs for Nevada families while providing the dignity of planning their future.”

He was joined by Gov. Steve Sisolak who said a woman’s decisions about her healthcare choices aren’t a luxury but a right.

“The attempts to infringe upon the fundamental right to health and happiness cannot be tolerated,” he said.

The mandate that employers who provide health insurance include contraceptive coverage has been in place since passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. As a result of that mandate, an estimated 55 million women have access to contraceptive coverage in the U.S.