Washington, DC – Today, Councilmember Christina Henderson introduced the Advancing the Range of Reproductive Options for Washingtonians (ARROW) Act of 2024. The bill would require private health insurance plans, Medicaid, and the DC Healthcare Alliance to cover vasectomy services with no copayments, deductibles, or other cost sharing requirements.

Currently in the District, there is no requirement that private or public insurance plans cover vasectomy services and there are no requirements regarding cost-sharing. However, there has been an increased demand for vasectomies since June 2022. After the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson  decision overturned Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington (PPMW) saw such a significant increase in vasectomy requests that it started a new practice focused on the service.  

“Introducing this legislation on Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to reinforce that the responsibility of pregnancy prevention should not fall solely on the partner with a uterus, and that there is nothing more romantic than being a considerate, equal partner in healthcare decisions,” stated Councilmember Christina Henderson.

"As a vasectomy provider, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington DC supports all efforts to remove barriers to health care for our patients,” stated Laura Meyers, Ph.D., President and CEO of PPMW. “Vasectomy is a safe form of long-term birth control that is almost 100% effective at preventing pregnancy, but cost can deter patients from pursuing this procedure. Simply put, increasing access to vasectomy services is a health equity issue that the ARROW Act tackles head-on."

The bill was co-introduced by Councilmembers Brooke Pinto, Brianne K. Nadeau, Anita Bonds, and Janeese Lewis George.  

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