Andrew Gillum wants to protect access to birth control

Democratic candidate for governor Andrew Gillum Thursday came out with a proposed state-based plan “to protect no-cost access to contraception that protects women’s health,” his campaign said in a statement.

The proposal follows news that President Donald Trump‘s administration “intends to roll back no-cost access to contraception established by federal law in 2010 and allow employers to opt-out of coverage with little to no oversight.”

“Contraception is a critical part of women’s health—reducing the risk of cancer, managing debilitating symptoms, and treating disease,” Gillum said. “This is too important a decision to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Florida’s families to be left to the federal government or employers.”

Last month, Gillum—the mayor of Tallahassee—called on state lawmakers to pass a bill strengthening insurance protections for those with pre-existing conditions and “end the discriminatory practice of charging women higher premiums than men.”

Under Gillum’s latest proposal, all health policies that cover prescriptions “must provide coverage for any FDA-approved prescription contraceptive drug or device,” and insurers would be “prohibited from imposing a co-pay, co-insurance, fees, or other costs for contraception.”

Many states have passed legislation or otherwise required insurers to cover contraception at no cost to women, his statement said.

“President Trump wants to turn back the clock and take essential healthcare away from women,” Gillum said. “As governor, I’m going to stand with women and ensure that neither the government nor their employer stand between a woman and her doctor in making the critical health decisions that affect her life.”