In an effort to increase women with private insurance’s access to contraceptive care, the Biden administration has proposed a substantial new rule. The initiative, which was unveiled on October 21, would require health insurers to cover preventative services without charging patients, in line with a federal mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This would allow women to obtain free birth control pills and various other forms of contraception.
If approved, this rule—which was created by the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services departments—would go into force in 2025. It is estimated that 52 million women who are of reproductive age will benefit from it. Jennifer Klein, director of the White House Gender Policy Council, said that this would be the first time that women may purchase over-the-counter contraception without a prescription or additional fees. Furthermore, more prescribed contraceptives would have to be covered by health insurance programs without requiring cost-sharing.
In the United States, Perrigo Co.’s Opill is the only daily birth control pill available without a prescription right now. Nevertheless, a wider variety of over-the-counter contraceptives would be included by the new rule, such as condoms, spermicides, emergency contraception like Plan B, and birth control sponges. Additionally, it would require health insurers to pay for all FDA-approved contraceptive medications and some devices, like IUDs, without requiring cost-sharing in many situations.
Unless an equal therapeutic option is offered without charge, the proposal mandates that health plans cover all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs or medication combination products without imposing cost-sharing. Plans would also have to make it very evident whether or not over-the-counter contraceptives are covered, as well as any related expenses.
This project comes at a time when political scrutiny of reproductive rights is at an all-time high, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to reverse Roe v. Wade. Abortion rights have become a crucial topic in the 2024 presidential election; Democratic contender for vice president, Kamala Harris, has made access to abortion a major campaign platform.
