Policy Pulse: Impact on BIPOC Women in Ohio
Policy Pulse: Impact on BIPOC Women in Ohio
Women's Health Equity Policy Weekly Updates
Week of January 9, 2026
This Week's Highlights
- New at-home cervical cancer test option starting in 2027
- Health insurance costs rising after federal help ended
- $50 billion for rural health care including Ohio
- New research shows abortion restrictions harm all pregnant women
Key Terms to Know
- Maternal morbidity:
- Serious health problems during or after pregnancy
- TRAP laws:
- Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers - state laws that put strict rules on abortion clinics
- HPV:
- Human papillomavirus - a virus that can cause cervical cancer
Welcome to this week's policy updates. We focus on changes that affect women's health in Ohio and across the country. Each section includes actions you can take to advocate for better health care.
Access to Health Care
New Cervical Cancer Screening Option
What Changed: On January 5, 2026, the federal government announced new guidelines for cervical cancer screening. Starting in 2027, women ages 30-65 can collect their own test sample at home instead of going to a doctor's office for a pelvic exam.
What This Means for You
Starting January 2027, you can order a test kit, collect your own sample at home, and mail it in. No pelvic exam needed. Your insurance will cover it. This is especially helpful if you don't have easy access to a doctor or feel uncomfortable with pelvic exams.
The Details:
- Women ages 30-65: HPV test every 5 years (you can collect at home or see a doctor)
- Women ages 21-29: Pap test continues (must see a doctor)
- If your test shows something wrong, insurance covers follow-up care
Take Action
Share this information with friends and family. Ask your health insurance company when they will start covering at-home cervical cancer tests. If you have trouble getting access, contact your state health department.
Health Insurance Costs Going Up
What Happened: Congress ended financial help that made health insurance cheaper for millions of families. This help was called "enhanced tax credits" and it lowered monthly insurance payments.
What This Means for You
If you buy health insurance through Healthcare.gov (also called the Marketplace or Obamacare), your monthly payment might double or more. Some families paying $100/month might now pay $300/month. Over the next 10 years, 30 million more Americans could lose insurance because they can't afford it.
Who's Affected:
- 24 million people get insurance through Healthcare.gov
- 93% of these people needed help to afford their insurance
- Women are most affected because they make health decisions for their families
Take Action
Contact your Senator and Representative. Tell them:
"I urge you to bring back help for health insurance costs. Millions of families, especially women and children, will lose health care without this help. Please support extended ACA subsidies."
Maternal Health Care
$50 Billion for Rural Health Care
What It Is: The federal government is giving money to all 50 states to improve health care in rural areas. This is the biggest investment in rural health care in U.S. history. Ohio will get funding to help pregnant women in rural communities get better care.
What This Means for You
If you live in a rural area, this money could bring more doctors, birth centers, and prenatal care to your community. However, the government reviews funding every year and can take it back if Ohio doesn't follow through on promises.
Birth Centers Closing Down
The Problem: Birth centers run by midwives are closing because they don't get enough money and face too many state rules. These centers are important for women of color who want culturally respectful care during pregnancy and birth.
Why It Matters:
- Insurance doesn't pay birth centers enough to stay open
- State laws make it too hard and expensive to run birth centers
- Rural hospitals are closing their labor and delivery units
Take Action
Contact your Ohio state legislators. Ask them to support steady funding for birth centers and reduce unnecessary rules. Birth centers need the same financial support that hospitals get.
New Research
Abortion Restrictions Harm All Pregnant Women
New Study (Published January 9, 2026): Researchers found that states with TRAP laws (strict rules on abortion clinics) have more pregnancy complications. This is true even for women who wanted to get pregnant and used fertility treatment.
What This Means for You
Laws that restrict abortion don't just affect people seeking abortion. They make pregnancy more dangerous for everyone. When states make it harder to get abortion care, it creates problems in the whole health care system that affect all pregnant people.
Ohio Health Care
OB-GYN Care Facing Challenges
What's Happening: Ohio's women's health care is facing serious problems: not enough money, not enough doctors and nurses, and fewer places to get care.
Who's Most Affected:
- Black women in cities face higher rates of pregnancy complications
- Rural communities losing hospitals and urgent care centers
- Need more midwives and doulas who understand different cultures
Coming Up
Maternal Health Awareness Day - January 23, 2026
Theme: "Holding Ground on Maternal Health"
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is asking everyone - the public, lawmakers, and health care leaders - to commit to preventing deaths during and after pregnancy.
Important Fact
More than 8 out of 10 pregnancy-related deaths could be prevented. Most women who die during or after pregnancy don't have to die - we have the knowledge and tools to save them.
Stay Connected
Check back weekly for updates and share this with your community. Together, we can build health systems where all women thrive.