For example, the Mirena IUD is one of the LARCs that is currently available. It is effective for 7 years. Anecdotally, it's also the most popular form of birth control amongst doctors, which I think says something. Without insurance coverage a Mirena IUD typically costs $500-800 for the device, plus an insertion fee that typically runs around $300.
Before the ACA, most of my patients could not afford that. Now not only are IUDs an option, but so are 3-year long implants, the patch, the shot, and the ring. Every person's body is different and the best form of birth control for one patient is not necessarily the best for another. It's critical to have options.
The loss of birth control coverage is one of my biggest fears for my patients. I say patients, not female patients. It's true that in our patriarchal society women are frequently left to be in charge of birth control but let's not forget that unplanned parenthood impacts men as well. I once took care of a man going through some occupational health testing. He confided that when he was in college he had once planned on going to medical school. When I asked him what changed, his answer was simple, "Procreated too early."
And unplanned parenthood impacts children.
Why anti-choice activists seem to care so much about the well being of theoretical children in the form of embryos and fetuses, but don't acknowledge the well being of all the children subject to abuse and neglect in this world continues to baffle me.
3) Increased Access to Health Insurance
This largely took the form of the optional Medicaid Expansion and anytime Medicaid is expanded, rich people get concerned about giving poor people free handouts. Enter: the perennial (and boring) debate about the appropriate size of government.
We forget about the people that these policies impact. We don't hear the story of the 42-year-old patient that I met who works two jobs to contribute to the family (his wife works as well) and is having the first doctor's visit of his adult life thanks to the ACA. And they've come in droves.
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