Women’s groups seek guaranteed birth control coverage
The Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies to cover all methods of birth control approved by the
Advocates want lawmakers and Gov.
One proposal being discussed in
"Too many women in
The
"Women feel under siege, and we don't know what's going to come out of
Under the state proposal, which was heard by a legislative committee Tuesday, coverage without co-pays would be guaranteed for emergency contraception and for all
Insurers also would be required to cover a year's supply of birth control after an initial three-month prescription, which is not required by the federal law.
Recent studies show the federal birth control mandate, in place since 2013, has increased use of contraception and reduced out-of-pocket medical costs, particularly for long-acting methods such as intrauterine devices.
From 2011 to 2014, out-of-pocket spending on birth control in
A study by the state
But supporters of the mandate say that study is flawed because it neglects the increased cost of unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and other issues that could stem from a loss of contraception coverage.
Until recently most health plans were reluctant to support the state mandate amid concerns over rising costs. A similar bill introduced in the previous legislative session failed to win support.
Under the latest proposal, insurers could not charge co-payments for generic birth control drugs but would be allowed to charge for brand-name medicine, helping them contain costs.
Trump hasn't specifically targeted the federal birth control mandate, but Vice President
Twenty-eight states -- including
She urged lawmakers and Baker to "protect women's access to birth control" by swiftly approving the proposed legislation.
"We're facing a presidential administration that wants to strip away rights that people fought so hard for," she said. "This is urgent. All eyes are on
Christian
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