Menopause is a process that roughly half of the American population will experience at some point in their lives. Nonetheless, many health insurance plans do not cover essential treatments for menopausal women. Now, Oscar winner Halle Berry is the face of a public campaign to end this gap in healthcare coverage.
Berry advocates for menopause health coverage: ‘We exactly deserve it’
Berry has emerged as one of the most prominent voices advocating for menopause-related issues. She is currently pushing the California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to approve AB 432, the Menopause Care Equity Act. The proposed legislation would require California health insurance providers to cover menopause-related healthcare, including hormone replacement therapy. Newsom vetoed similar legislation last year, arguing that the mandated coverage would be “too far-reaching” and thus too expensive.
Berry posted a video on social media urging the Democratic governor to support the current version of the bill.
“I just got word that Governor Newsom’s office is pushing back on a part of our menopause bill that is crucial,” Berry told her supporters. “It’s the part that says that insurance companies must pay for a woman’s HRT. I mean, that is the most important part! That’s a huge part of what this bill is all about because not every woman can afford it. It’s not exactly cheap, but we exactly deserve it.” Berry also pointed out the disparities in insurance coverage for older women versus older men, noting that “men have that little blue pill covered by insurance” and urging her followers to “be in support of women also living their best lives in their second act.” Berry’s post included a link to sign a letter to Newsom urging his support for the bill in its entirety.
“I believe he wants to do the right thing, but he needs a little push,” Berry said.
Advocating for women’s health at the federal and state levels
Berry has also advocated for menopause-related care at the national level. Last year, she appeared at a fireside chat with then-first lady Jill Biden concerning women’s healthcare; Berry shared her experience of learning that she was perimenopausal. At the time, President Joe Biden had signed an executive order to increase research into women’s health issues. Berry is also the founder of Respin Health, a company that provides products and telemedicine services related to menopause and advocates for relevant legislation.
Advocacy for menopause-related healthcare previously focused on federal legislation, with the Advancing Menopause and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act proposed in Congress in 2023 to dedicate $275 million for research relating to menopause. While Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington plan to reintroduce the bill with Berry’s support later this year, lack of support from the Trump administration has led women’s health advocates to focus more attention on state-level legislation.
“We will keep pushing, and we will keep going to Washington and doing what we’re doing, but we really feel like we can get real things done on a state level,” Berry explained.
A variety of states, including Illinois, Maine and Rhode Island, have passed menopause-related legislation in recent years, with Michigan and Pennsylvania among the states considering similar legislation. As movement on healthcare for menopause continues across the United States, Berry and others are seeking to push California to guarantee such health coverage across the country’s most populous state.
