Cheaper vasectomies and birth control products with new California law in force

IMPERIAL VALLEY – A new California law that permits complete coverage by private health insurance plans for contraception drugs, devices and products for women at in-network pharmacies and less expensive vasectomies for men is in effect for 2024.

Without a prescription and all covered by their private health insurance, women will be able to purchase birth control at their local drugstore. Vasectomy procedures will also become more widely available to men with no upfront charges covered by their private insurance at no additional cost other than what is paid for their monthly premiums.

"Now signed into law, SB 523 will help ensure equitable access to contraception, as well as solidify California's rightful place as a national leader in reproductive freedom," Former Senator Connie Leyva said in a statement.

"This crucial legislation champions health equity and empowers Californians to make informed decisions about their bodies and families, and comes at an important time as our reproductive rights continue to come under attack like never before," Darrah Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund of the Pacific Southwest, said in a statement in an email to IVP.

The implementation of Senate Bill 523 – the Contraceptive Equity Act of 2022 written by Connie Leyva (D-Chino), a former senator, mandates that over-the-counter birth control options and vasectomy services be covered without cost-sharing and extend the benefits of contraceptive coverage.

"The Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade has made the need to expand equitable access to birth control and California's leadership on this issue more urgent than ever," Johnson said.

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, holding that there is no constitutional right to an abortion. Due to the Court's ruling, almost half of the states in the United States moved to ban abortion outright.

One of the consequences of this act — after Roe v. Wade was overturned — is vasectomies becoming more popular, according to national studies.

"We believe these are important steps in furthering reproductive freedom and everyone's right to decide if and when to start a family," Johnson said.

For Johnson this is a step forward, guaranteeing people to choose how they want to manage their bodies as well as the right to reproductive freedom.

"Access to health care doesn't depend on who you are or where you live, and where every person has the opportunity to choose their own path to a healthy and meaningful life," Johnson said.

Almost half of the 6.1 million pregnancies in the U.S. each year are unintended, according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

Unintended pregnancies have been linked to negative maternal and perinatal outcomes, including reduced likelihood of receiving early prenatal care and increased risk of preterm delivery, with associated adverse neonatal, developmental and child health outcomes, according to the FDA.

An important step towards guaranteeing reproductive rights and making contraceptive access easier was the first over-the-counter birth control pill, approved by the FDA on July 2023. The Opill (norgestrel) tablet is used to prevent pregnancy, and no prescription was needed since July.

"It is critical that Californians be able to decide — for themselves — if and when they have children, so the 'Contraceptive Equity Act of 2022' is a vital step forward to build on existing measures to help ensure our contraceptive benefits and policies extend to millions more across the state since (the) current law(s) leaves too many individuals and communities without equitable access," Leyva said in a statement.