Low-income women's access to contraception after Massachusetts health care reform

In 2006, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed legislation aimed at improving access to affordable, high-quality health care by mandating all residents have health insurance by July 2007.

Following health care reform, residents with incomes less than or equal to 300% of the federal poverty level who are not Medicaid or Medicare eligible or do not have employer-sponsored insurance are able to enroll in government-subsidized private insurance plans called Commonwealth Care. Massachusetts’ groundbreaking effort to expand access to health care for its residents offers a unique opportunity to examine how health care reform affects women’s access to contraception and reproductive health services.