Bill Overview
Title: Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act
Description: This bill establishes various grants and related programs that address sexual and reproductive health care for individuals with disabilities. Specifically, the Health Resources and Services Administration must support training for health care providers who offer sexual and reproductive health care to individuals with disabilities, and educating individuals with disabilities about sexual and reproductive health care. The Administration for Community Living must establish a national center to provide recommendations, technical assistance, and other resources related to the provision of sexual and reproductive health care for individuals with disabilities. The bill also authorizes support for medical schools, nursing schools, and other educational institutions that offer obstetrics and gynecology training programs to expand the number of individuals with disabilities entering the reproductive health care workforce. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must study the effectiveness and other aspects of reproductive health care services and programs for individuals with disabilities.
Sponsors: Rep. Bush, Cori [D-MO-1]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals with disabilities who require or seek access to sexual and reproductive health care worldwide
Estimated Size: 61000000
- There are approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide living with some form of disability according to the World Health Organization.
- Access to reproductive health care is a fundamental right that may be limited for individuals with disabilities due to various barriers including lack of accessibility and specialized training for providers.
- Improving accessibility to reproductive health care for individuals with disabilities impacts not only these individuals but also their families and broader social systems.
- Training health providers and improving education about reproductive health for individuals with disabilities could potentially lead to increased utilization of services and improved health outcomes.
Reasoning
- The estimated target population in the U.S. is about 61 million people with disabilities, according to the CDC. If the policy successfully addresses even 10% of this population, it would impact approximately 6.1 million people.
- Considering the budgetary constraints, expected outcomes include enhanced training for healthcare providers and increased awareness of reproductive health rights among individuals with disabilities, improving their self-reported wellbeing.
- These initiatives will likely result in improved health care access and outcomes over time for the disabled community, but the direct impact might vary depending on the existing resources and infrastructure available in different states.
- The longer-term goal of increasing participation of individuals with disabilities in the healthcare workforce could see slow initial progress, ramping up further into the policy's lifecycle.
- We are simulating interviews with varied perspectives, including those who might not directly benefit from the policy immediately, to reflect a comprehensive range of impacts.
Simulated Interviews
Retail worker (Boston, MA)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I often find clinics lack the necessary facilities to accommodate my wheelchair, and staff sometimes seem unsure about how to assist me correctly.
- If this policy focuses on training, it might mean I get the help I need without feeling like I'm an inconvenience.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Software Developer (San Diego, CA)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The biggest challenge is communication barriers. Not all reproductive health specialists speak ASL.
- If the policy includes creating ASL resources for doctors, that would significantly improve my healthcare experiences.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 25 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's challenging to access resources on sexual health that are compatible with screen readers.
- This policy sounds like it could address information accessibility, which would benefit me greatly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Unemployed (Rural Mississippi)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Travel is hard due to lack of public transport, and there aren't many clinics that can handle my needs.
- While the policy sounds good, I'm worried it won't reach areas like mine in a meaningful way.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
Retired (New York, NY)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel there's a massive gap in how reproductive health services address disabilities.
- This policy could bridge those gaps if it creates more supportive research and healthcare infrastructures.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Waitress (Miami, FL)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Education was never tailored to my understanding, leaving me unaware of many important aspects of sexual health.
- If the policy includes educational resources I can understand, it will make a big difference.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Healthcare Administrator (Seattle, WA)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see first-hand how the lack of training in reproductive health affects not just patients but also families.
- This policy should help address existing gaps, hopefully creating better-integrated health care systems.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Freelance writer (Denver, CO)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's rare for healthcare providers to consider my sensory issues during their consultations.
- A policy facilitating training healthcare professionals in sensitivities like mine could vastly improve service delivery.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Teacher (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 42 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Accessibility improvements are overdue, many with disabilities face long waits and patchy care.
- If the policy includes streamlining services, especially involving insurance, it could make a big difference.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Graphic designer (Austin, TX)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Autism is often not sufficiently addressed in reproductive health conversations and services.
- A policy focusing on comprehensive training would be beneficial if it includes understanding autism.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 2: $52000000 (Low: $42000000, High: $62000000)
Year 3: $54000000 (Low: $44000000, High: $64000000)
Year 5: $58000000 (Low: $48000000, High: $68000000)
Year 10: $62000000 (Low: $52000000, High: $72000000)
Year 100: $100000000 (Low: $80000000, High: $120000000)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring equitable access to high-quality training programs across regions is critical to the success of this policy.
- Measuring the actual impact on health outcomes and service delivery will be important for assessing value for money.
- Potential variations in local and state-level adoption and integration into existing health care systems could affect the policy's cost and effectiveness.