850K women could lose health coverage, contraception access if ARPA tax credits expire, report finds

If the federal premium tax credits for ACA coverage expire, 850,000 women of reproductive age are projected to become uninsured in 2023, thereby limiting access to contraception and increasing the potential for an unintended pregnancy in abortion-restricted states, according to a new report released July 14 by the Urban Institute.

Six things to know:

About 2.5 million women aged 19-44 and with no health insurance currently live in a state that has restrictive abortion laws.
If the tax credits are extended, 384,000 women aged 19-44 in states with restricted abortion will become insured and have access to contraception at no cost.
If the tax credits expire, 850,000 more women aged 19-44 will have no health insurance in 2023, limiting access to free or low-cost contraception.
Among those potentially uninsured in 2023, 591,000 live in a state that has not expanded Medicaid eligibility to up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
Uninsured rates are projected to be 19.3 percent for women aged 19-44 in states that have not expanded Medicaid compared to 10.2 percent in states that have.
If premium tax credits are extended, 384,000 fewer women of reproductive age in “most” or “very” restrictive abortion states would be uninsured and would maintain no-cost access to effective forms of contraception.

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