WV Healthy Youth Initiative

West Virginia continues to have an all too high rate of teen pregnancy and poor maternal and infant health, yet our state’s insurance program, PEIA, does not cover birth control or pregnancy care for dependent children.

Our teens deserve comprehensive health care that helps them prevent unplanned pregnancy. And should they decide to become young mothers, they need prenatal care.

We the undersigned believe that insurance coverage of contraceptives and pregnancy care for dependents is a win-win-win proposition: it would prevent unplanned pregnancies, improve birth outcomes and save money during this time of economic crisis.

We call upon our Governor, PEIA and state policymakers to address this problem through legislative and administrative remedies.