Though President Barack Obama's signature health care reform bill broadened the opportunities for women to access health care – particularly for family planning – some members of Congress and advocates for women's health are pushing for programs to go even further.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., on Thursday introduced the 21st Century Women's Health Act, a bill that would, among other things, provide emergency contraception in hospitals to survivors of rape, expand nurse practitioner programs to cover women's health, and allow Medicaid to cover contraception and other services. Under Obamacare, all private health insurance is required to cover contraception and services like breast pumps and breast feeding counseling. For low-income people covered by Medicaid, however, full coverage is available in just 26 states, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an analysis and research group that seeks to advance sexual and reproductive health.

This is the second major move in recent weeks seeking to expand women's access to health care. In mid-February, advocates for women's health lobbied the Department of Health and Human Services after the end of open enrollment, the three-month time period during which people can sign up for health insurance. They argue that pregnant women should be allowed to sign up for coverage at any time – an exemption made for other life events like marriage, divorce, a job change or a birth. On Monday, 37 senators sent a letter to Sylvia Burwell, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, to request the exemption.

Meanwhile, other members of Congress are working to restrict access to abortions. In January, congressional Republicans considered a measure that would prohibit abortion 20 weeks after fertilization, but they canceled a planned vote after some GOP lawmakers withdrew their support. Nine states ban the practice, while the majority have various limits on access to abortion. Additionally, nine states have enacted restrictions on emergency contraception, including six states that allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense the so-called "morning after pill."

A portion of the bill that would require hospital emergency departments in all states to provide free Plan B contraceptives to victims of rape could be problematic among religious groups. The District of Columbia and 13 states currently have a similar requirement, but the Center for Reproductive Rights says no law prevents states from prohibiting it.

An estimated 25,000 to 32,000 women become pregnant each year as a result of rape or incest. Catholic hospitals object to Plan B and have lobbied against state laws on the grounds that being forced to provide it would be a violation of religious freedom.

In a phone call with reporters, Murray said limits to women's health showed Congress could not become complacent about the gains that have been made. "Some elected officials are laser-focused on taking us backwards," she said. "They want to make it harder for women to access critical health care services, from abortion to family planning to contraception coverage. They are dead set on interfering with personal decisions that should be made between a woman, her doctor and her partner."

Obamacare changed how insurance companies cover women. Before its passage in 2010, many health plans didn't offer maternity care or contraception, while now such coverage is required. Advocates believe much progress has been made: Women have gained leadership positions, teen pregnancies are at a 40-year low, and 48 million women can access no-copay birth control, according to Planned Parenthood.

Still, gaps remain. According to the Guttmacher Institute, half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended. Millions of people also remain uninsured – possibly because they choose to be or possibly because they don't know the details of the health care law.

"I really believe that for women across the country we are at a critical moment," Murray said in the call with reporters. "We’ve made a lot of progress when it comes to advancing women’s health and expanding access to reproductive care. ... But there's no question there is a lot more we need to do."

Her bill also aims to better inform women of the preventive services that are available at no cost under the Affordable Care Act. It will create a public awareness campaign alongside community-based organizations, pharmacists and health care providers to inform women and their families that they have access to mammograms, immunizations, contraception, breast-feeding counseling and domestic violence screening.