Senate OKs Bill to Back Contraception

The Senate voted to require most federal employee health plans that provide prescriptions to cover prescription contraceptives for women. The voice vote underlined the strength that women’s rights forces have in the Senate, and seemed to make it likely that a final House-Senate version of the bill would include similar language. The House recently approved language closely resembling the Senate measure. Affected would be 9 million federal workers, retirees and their dependents, including 1.2 million women of childbearing age.