RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Virginia has joined a coalition of 21 state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief challenging the Trump administration’s 2017 and 2018 regulations on the Affordable Care Act’s no‑cost contraceptive coverage for workers with employer health plans. The attorneys ge neral claimed that the 2017 and 2018 regulations expand the ability for employers to opt out of the ACA's no-cost coverage for contraceptive care and services that would otherwise be guaranteed for workers. Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones shared a release on Thursday, explaining that the brief urges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit to affirm a district court ruling that found the regulations unlawful. “The Affordable Care Act guarantees that employer health plans cover contraception without cost sharing. Donald Trump’s administration attempted to rewrite that law by creating sweeping exemptions allowing employers to deny birth control coverage outright,” Jones said in a statement. “This effort is about nothing more than dismantling a core protection of the Affordable Care Act, eroding coverage, and shifting the cost of contraception onto women, families, and states like Virginia.” According to the release from Jones' office, more than 80% of women ages 18 to 49 have reported using some form of contraception within the past year. "With contraception costing an average of $584 per user annually, the regulations could shift an estimated $73.8 million in costs onto individuals who rely on contraceptive care," the release reads. "These costs would create significant barriers to accessing safe and effective health services. The coalition also argues that states such as Virginia will face increased financial strain as they are forced to spend millions of dollars to provide replacement contraceptive care through publicly funded health programs." Jones has joined the attorneys general from the following states in filing the brief: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. ...read more read less