Alliance for Period Supplies Supports Congressional Push to Include Menstrual Products in Medicaid Coverage

Call for Medicaid officials to expand access to menstrual products through all federal and federally funded programs

NEW HAVEN , CT, UNITED STATES, November 21, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Alliance for Period Supplies, and its more than 145 community-based nonprofits working to end period poverty in the U.S., stand in full support of Congressional efforts calling for Medicaid officials to expand access to menstrual products through all federal and federally funded programs.

Specifically, the Alliance for Period Supplies endorses passage of the Menstrual Equity for All Act, H.R. 3646, which would amend the Social Security Act to include menstrual products in the list of Medicaid benefits, details of which were outlined in a letter issued to the National Association of Medicaid Directors by Senior U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee members Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) and Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), alongside Congresswomen Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.).

The legislation seeks to mandate coverage of menstrual products under Medicaid, thereby addressing a critical healthcare gap, while also, reducing period poverty. Currently, menstrual products are classified as medical devices by the Food and Drug Administration but remain excluded from mandatory or optional Medicaid benefits. No states have currently utilized demonstration projects or waiver authorities to provide coverage of menstrual products. The authors of the letter identify Medicaid as “a vital federally funded program that ensures that the poorest and most underserved Americans have access to the health care they need.”

"Menstrual products are not a luxury—they are a medical necessity," said Lacey Gero, Director of Government Affairs of the Alliance for Period Supplies. "By treating these products as essential healthcare items, basic necessities, we can dramatically improve health outcomes for millions of Americans. We applaud Rep. Meng for championing the Menstrual Equity for All Act which has the support of 80 members of Congress.”

The Alliance for Period Supplies calls on Medicaid Directors and healthcare stakeholders to support this crucial initiative, emphasizing that access to menstrual products is fundamentally a matter of health equity and human dignity.

Troy Moore
National Diaper Bank Network | Alliance for Period Supplies
+1 203-295-7987
email us here
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