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The Biden administration has proposed a rule that would provide over 50 million women with private insurance access to over-the-counter birth control pills and other contraceptives at no cost. The rule, proposed by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury, expands a federal mandate under the Affordable Care Act requiring health insurers to cover preventative care services at no cost to patients. If finalized, the rule would come into effect in 2025.
The proposed rule covers a range of over-the-counter contraceptives, including daily birth control pills, emergency contraceptives like the morning-after pill Plan B, spermicides, birth control sponges, and condoms. It also requires health plans to cover all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs and some devices, including IUDs, without cost sharing in many cases. Health plans would also be required to disclose to customers that these contraceptives are covered without cost sharing.
According to NBC News, White House Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein said during a briefing, “This rule, once finalized, will expand contraception coverage for 52 million women of reproductive age with private health insurance.”
The proposal comes just two weeks before the 2024 presidential election, in which abortion rights has been a key issue following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade in 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, has made access to abortion central to her campaign.