Our History
ICAN! was established in 2020 as a five-year initiative to address unmet contraceptive needs and reproductive health disparities in Illinois. Originally Illinois Contraceptive Access Now, ICAN! began as a fiscally sponsored project of AllianceChicago—a nonprofit advancing health equity through health information technology, data analytics, and research.
ICAN!’s founders, Kai Tao, MPH, PhD, FACNM and Katie Thiede, saw a gap between Illinois’ leadership on reproductive rights and the reproductive health disparities experienced by women of color and women with low incomes. Knowing firsthand that women do not experience their need or desire for birth control in a vacuum, but rather as an integrated part of their overall well-being, they envisioned a solution that would center around partnerships with community health systems, state agencies, policymakers, and patients to normalize birth control as basic health care.
Between 2020 – 2025, ICAN!:
- Led the effort to develop and implement Illinois’ new Medicaid Family Planning Program through which an estimated 1.2 million people are now eligible for coverage of birth control and related preventive and primary care services.
- Grew a statewide “Quality Hub” network from 3 to 24 community health centers providing person-centered contraceptive care and enrolling patients in coverage.
- Delivered contraceptive care and coverage training and technical assistance to nearly 8,000 safety net providers.
- Supported thousands of patients to learn about their birth control options, find coverage, deliver feedback to providers, and to access timely and respectful care in their communities.
During this time, our work on Illinois’ Medicaid for Family Planning Program attracted interest from other states. As we began to share best practices and offer technical assistance to state Medicaid agencies, policy makers, and health care providers across the country, we knew it was time to change our name. In 2025, ICAN! became Implementing Contraceptive Access Now, reflecting its evolution from local contraceptive access initiative to national systems change agent working to fundamentally transform how contraceptive care is paid for, delivered, and accessed.
In addition to Illinois, ICAN! works with partners in more than 20 states to expand access to contraception and related preventive and primary care through Medicaid Family Planning Programs. To learn more, visit our sister site: www.ICANCoverAll.org.