PHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs has signed an executive order allowing state workers to access over-the-counter contraceptives at no charge to them.
The order designates Opill, the first daily oral contraceptive approved for use in the U.S. without a prescription, as an "essential health benefit" under the state's health plan.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Gobernadora Katie Hobbs firma orden ejecutiva para poder obtener anticonceptivos de manera gratuita
Participants in the state's plan are entitled to essential health benefits at no cost to them.
"I will continue to do everything in my power to protect our reproductive freedom and ensure every Arizonan can access contraception," the governor said in a statement.
The executive order additionally instructs the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System to consider additional options to expand access to contraceptives for its members. AHCCCS oversees the state's Medicaid system.
Last summer, Hobbs used her executive powers to allow adults in Arizona to obtain over-the-counter contraceptives at local pharmacies without a prescription.
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
