Victory for Women! Obama Administration Calls on Insurance Companies to Cover Full Range of Birth Control Methods

Today, the Obama administration issued clarifying guidance stating that insurance companies must cover all 18 FDA-approved birth control methods for women without a copay — not a what insurers pick and choose.

Because more than 30,000 Planned Parenthood supporters spoke out, health insurance companies will no longer be able to use loopholes to force women to pay out-of-pocket upwards of $600 a year more for their birth control.

Thanks to Obamacare, 48.5 million women nationwide are now eligible for birth control without copay – and now, we can rest assured that no health insurance companies will be able to twist the law to avoid covering it.

Our action and this response by the Obama administration come at the heels of recent troubling reports from allied organizations National Women’s Law Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation. These reports proved that some insurance companies have been denying coverage or requiring women to pay out-of-pocket for their birth control, which is against the law. 

"[The insurance company] claims that the NuvaRing is not included....I felt like I was talking to a wall."

 

- A woman in California who isn't getting the coverage she needs, NWLC Report

We know that increased access to birth control has helped bring teen pregnancy rates to a 40-year low, and this new clarification helps build on that progress. It also ensures that insurance plans provide coverage for contraceptive-related clinical services, including education and counseling.  

We thank the administration for listening and pushing forward policies that are proven to work and have clear health and economic benefits for women, their families, and their communities. And we thank all the Planned Parenthood supporters for showing that we can make a real difference in the lives of women, no matter their insurance — and that’s worth celebrating. 

Tags: Insurance, Obama Administration, birth control