In the US, multiple in three ladies expertise sexual violence of their lifetime. Regardless of the intent of Violence In opposition to Girls Act (VAWA) to guard survivors from out-of-pocket spending stemming from rape package assortment providers often known as a medical forensic examination (MFE), many ladies face well being care payments as a result of they search these essential providers.
A brand new KFF evaluation of a pattern of personal insurance coverage claims from massive employers finds that two-thirds (66%) of insured ladies who obtained a rape package after a sexual assault confronted out-of-pocket prices for these providers, spending a mean of $347 out of pocket.
This new evaluation additionally critiques the federal and state insurance policies that contribute to the gaps in protection for these ladies, regardless of the intention of the VAWA to make no-cost rape kits accessible to all survivors.
President Biden lately signed the newly reauthorized VAWA, which doesn’t particularly deal with the problem of out-of-pocket prices that many face for minimal coated providers of the MFE. The reauthorization might assist strengthen and develop the provision of well being care providers for victims, together with higher oversight and transparency concerning programming for survivors of sexual assault and a brand new public web site with details about the provision of forensic nurse examiners.