April 26th marks the first anniversary of Governor Terry McAuliffe signing HB2267, a Virginia law that mandated health insurers to provide a year’s worth of birth control at once — saving time and hassle, especially for working women and women living in rural areas. Progress Virginia Executive Director Anna Scholl released the following statement:

“The legislation Governor McAuliffe signed was a victory for working women in Virginia. It was the first piece of legislation passed in the Commonwealth in over a decade that made it easier to decide when and if to start a family, rather than throw up roadblocks to these important life decisions. But sadly, anti-womens health elected officials in both Richmond and Washington are hellbent on taking away these basic benefits and more by repealing the Affordable Care Act. Congressmen Scott Taylor and Dave Brat should abandon their quest to take healthcare away from Virginia families and instead focus on passing policies that give our families access to the affordable care we need.”

Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, American women have saved $1.4 Billion every year thanks to provisions that require health insurers to cover the cost of co-pays for birth control. The co-pay-free birth control benefit is one of the most popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act, supported by 77% of women voters.

Relentless conservative attacks on the Affordable Care Act and attempts to repeal the law by some members of Virginia’s Congressional delegation could make benefits like our 12-Month Birth Control Supply mandate meaningful for only the richest Virginians. A year’s worth of birth control can cost the same as a semester’s worth of books for college, a sum that puts the benefits of the Virginia law out of reach for many women struggling to get their education, pay rent or support to their families.