MISSION & GOALS: The Northeastern PA chapter of the Younger Women’s Task Force is designed to aid young women and encourage activism in and among the Poconos (including Lehigh Valley and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area). As the Northeastern PA chapter is in its infancy, the focus currently is on outreach and building a strong base of dedicated young women committed to promoting the causes of younger women in the Poconos, Pennsylvania, and throughout the country.

Join the PA YWTF yahoo group to find out more about upcoming events. There will be organizational meetings in Stroudsburg, Allentown (Bethlehem), and Scranton during the months of September and October. The dates and locations will be announced shortly.

LEGISLATION MATTERS IN PENNSYLVANIA

Prescription Contraception Equity Act (SB 474)

The Prescription Contraception Equity Act, reintroduced to the PA Senate on March 1, 2005 by PA State Senator Connie Williams (D-17), is legislation that mandates health insurance companies to cover contraception if they provide prescription drug coverage. According to NARAL PA, “many health insurance companies doe not currently cover prescription contraceptives, forcing women of childbearing age to spend 68% more than men on out-of-pocket health care cost.”

As of the end of the 2004 legislative session, 21 states had implemented some version of the Prescription Contraceptive Equity Act.

If you would like to voice your support of this legislation, please contact the legislators serving on the Committee on Banking and Insurance for the Senate Bill 474 or the Insurance Committee for the House Bill 149 (click here).