Biden administration proposes free over-the-counter birth control
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The Biden administration is proposing a rule that would provide women with private insurance access to over-the-counter birth control pills and other contraceptives at no cost, the White House said on Monday.
The rule, which expands a federal mandate requiring health insurers to cover preventative care services at no cost to patients under the Affordable Care Act, is being proposed by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury and would come into effect in 2025 if finalized.
“This rule, once finalized, will expand contraception coverage for 52 million women of reproductive age with private health insurance,” White House Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein said during a briefing.
“For the first time ever, women would be able to obtain over-the-counter contraception without a prescription at no additional cost, and health plans would have to cover even more prescribed contraceptives without cost sharing,” she said.
Perrigo Co’s Opill is currently the only daily birth control pill approved for sale without a prescription by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but the proposed rule covers other forms of over-the-counter contraceptives, including emergency contraception such as morning after pill Plan B, spermicides, birth control sponges, and condoms.
The rule will also require that health plans cover all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs and some devices, including IUDs, without cost sharing in many cases.
The rule will also require health plans to cover every FDA-approved contraceptive drug or drug-led combination product, such as IUDs, without cost sharing unless the plan also covers a therapeutic equivalent without cost sharing, and would require plans to disclose that OTC contraceptives are covered with cost sharing or a prescription.
