WRDI Watch
If you've followed WRDI for a while, you know we talk a lot about access. Earlier this year, I wrote about the difference between having a right on …
As of September — Reproductive rights remain sharply divided across the country. Abortion is banned in some states while others continue protecting or expanding access, and voters in several states will decide abortion-related ballot measures in November. Medication abortion and other reproductive-health policies remain the subject of active litigation, while proposals involving fetal personhood and pregnancy continue to raise questions about how reproductive rights may be defined and enforced.
If you've assumed birth control is simply “free” because of the Affordable Care Act, you're only partly right. Since 2012, the federal law has required most …
For decades, a federal law called EMTALA has guaranteed one basic promise: if you show up at a U.S. emergency room in crisis, the hospital is required to screen …
Across the country, lawmakers, courts, and federal agencies are increasingly defining terms that shape women's rights. One of the clearest examples is fetal personhood—the idea that an …
Project 2025 is a long-term policy blueprint created by a group of conservative organizations and led by the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank. Released ahead of the …
Federal laws play a powerful role in shaping women’s rights in the United States. Even when enforcement and impact vary from place to place, these laws establish national standards …
The word “protected” sounds definitive. In everyday language, it suggests something settled—a right that’s been secured and placed out of reach of change. In law, the meaning is …
When people hear the phrase “abortion is healthcare,” it’s often assumed to be a political statement. In medicine, it isn’t. It’s a description of how pregnancy care …
If you've assumed birth control is simply “free” because of the Affordable Care Act, you're only partly right. Since 2012, the federal law has required most …
For decades, a federal law called EMTALA has guaranteed one basic promise: if you show up at a U.S. emergency room in crisis, the hospital is required to screen …
Across the country, lawmakers, courts, and federal agencies are increasingly defining terms that shape women's rights. One of the clearest examples is fetal personhood—the idea that an …
When Missouri voters approved Amendment 3 in 2024, they established constitutional protections for reproductive freedom, including abortion, and overturned the state's near-total abortion ban. Yet less than …
When states pass menopause insurance mandates, the headlines usually focus on private health plans. But roughly one in five American women between 50 and 64 rely on Medicaid, and until …
If you live in New Jersey, your health insurer is now required by law to cover hormone therapy, pelvic floor physical therapy, bone density screenings, and mental health care related …
The 2025 federal spending bill (OBBBA Act) blocked Medicaid reimbursements for Planned Parenthood and some other large reproductive health providers for one year, triggering lawsuits and emergency funding responses from …
Illinois has become the country’s most important access point for abortion care, especially since the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. Surrounded by states with strict limits or total …
Maternal health outcomes in Illinois reflect a mix of strong protections, expanded access, and persistent gaps in care. While the state has taken steps to improve coverage and support services, …
Florida has been at the center of policy changes affecting women’s health and rights. In 2024, the state implemented a six-week abortion ban after the Florida Supreme Court …
Two recent federal developments are drawing new attention to medication abortion, which is now used in more than half of all abortions in the United States. On May 1, a …
As of 2026, Tennessee has one of the strictest abortion laws in the country, with a near-total ban and very limited exceptions. For most people, abortion care is not …