Women’s Reproductive & Maternal Health Access in Vermont

A group of happy and positive female hiking friends huddle together on a rocky moorland in an idyllic rural countryside.

Problem

Despite high insurance coverage, Vermont women face persistent barriers to reproductive, maternal, and preventive care.

Vermont has some of the strongest statutory protections for women’s health in the nation, yet many women still struggle to access, understand, and fully benefit from the reproductive, maternal, and preventive services that are legally guaranteed to them. Persistent implementation challenges including provider shortages, facility closures, long travel distances, inconsistent claims processing, and unclear coverage information, create barriers to care, particularly for rural residents, lower income women, and women of color.

Solution

NORC is assessing barriers to women’s health access in Vermont and building a statewide communications campaign to address them.

NORC is working with the Department of Financial Regulation to conduct a mixed-methods assessment to identify systemic, geographic, financial, and administrative barriers shaping women’s experiences accessing reproductive, maternal, and preventive health services across the state. Methods include a review of state policies and insurance documents, survey and claims analyses, and interviews and focus groups with clinicians, insurers, health care administrators, and public health professionals.

Building on findings from the assessment, NORC is designing and implementing a statewide communications campaign to equip Vermonters with clear, accessible guidance on covered services, where and how to obtain care, and how to resolve billing or insurance issue. The campaign will use tailored messaging and multi-channel dissemination to connect women to state and partner resources.

Result

The project is helping position Vermont to close persistent gaps between women’s health coverage protections and their access to care.

The assessment gives state regulators, insurers, and health care administrators a detailed picture of where implementation gaps, workforce shortages, and administrative barriers are limiting access despite strong legal protections. Findings are informing a statewide campaign designed to help Vermont women understand their covered services, find providers, and navigate billing and insurance processes, ultimately connecting more women to the reproductive, maternal, and preventive care the state’s laws are designed to guarantee.