Millions of people with private health insurance would be able to get over-the-counter methods such as condoms, birth control pills and birth control pills for free under a new rule proposed by the White House on Monday.
Currently, health insurance companies must cover the cost of prescribed contraception, including prescription birth control or even condoms for which doctors have issued a prescription. But the new rule would expand that coverage, allowing millions to buy condoms, birth control pills, or “morning-after” pills from local storefronts for free without a prescription.
The proposal comes days before Election Day, with Vice President Kamala Harris linking her presidential campaign to a promise to expand women’s access to health care in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down abortion rights nationwide two years ago. Harris sought to formulate a clear contrast with her Republican rival, Donald Trump, who appointed some of the judges who issued that ruling.
“The proposed rule we are announcing today will expand access to contraception at no additional cost to millions of consumers,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “The bottom line: Women should have control over their personal health care decisions. Issuers and providers should abide by the law.”
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Emergency contraception that people with private insurance can obtain at no cost includes levonorgestrel, which is a pill that must be taken immediately after sex to prevent pregnancy, and is better known by the brand name “Plan B.”
Without a prescription, women may pay up to $50 for a box of the pills. Women who delay purchasing medication in order to obtain a prescription may jeopardize the effectiveness of birth control pills, because they are more likely to prevent pregnancy within 72 hours after sex.
If implemented, the new rule would also require insurers to foot the cost of once-daily Opel, a new over-the-counter birth control pill approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year. A one-month supply of grains costs $20.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said in a statement applauding the newly proposed rule that the reimbursement prevents some women from purchasing contraceptives.
“Birth control is an important part of the lives of many of our patients, but the simple truth is that even with insurance coverage, the cost of a co-pay can be prohibitive for many people,” the statement said.
Federal mandates for private health insurance to cover contraceptive care were first introduced with the Affordable Care Act, which requires plans to cover the cost of FDA-approved contraceptives prescribed by a physician as a preventive service.
Health Insurance Plans of America, the lobbying group for private health insurers, said Monday it was reviewing the proposal.
The proposed rule would not affect beneficiaries of Medicaid, the insurance program for the poorest Americans. States are largely left to design their own rules around Medicaid coverage of contraception, and few cover over-the-counter methods such as Plan B or condoms.
& Edition 2024 The Canadian Press
