Biden Admin Wants Health Insurers To Cover Your OTC Birth Control And Condoms
Who wants free birth control and condoms? We want free birth control and condoms!
Earlier this year, the United States got its first over-the-counter birth control — Opill, which retails at $19.99 a month, a progestin-only pill that is 98 percent effective against pregnancy when used correctly and 91 percent effective when used “typically.” It was great news that meant that people who can’t afford to go to the doctor, who can’t see a doctor for some other reason, who don’t have health insurance, or who are teenagers with super-religious parents would finally be able to get it.
YECH.
The problem, of course, remains the fact that it still costs $19.99 a month (and OTC Plan B costs about $40-$50), while prescription birth control is free at the point of service with health insurance and has been since the Affordable Care Act. There’s also the additional cost of condoms and even the cost of spermicide, should one choose to be extra careful. (Which one should!)
Well, that is about to change, at least for those with health insurance. On Monday, the Biden administration proposed a new rule under the Affordable Care Act that will require health insurers to cover over-the-counter birth control as well.
The new rule would cover not just over-the-counter birth control pills, but the aforementioned condoms and spermicide as well.
“At a time when contraception access is under attack, Vice President Harris and I are resolute in our commitment to expanding access to quality, affordable contraception,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “We believe that women in every state must have the freedom to make deeply personal health care decisions, including the right to decide if and when to start or grow their family.”
It’s especially important right now, given the fact that so many people are living in areas where abortion is illegal and thus must be extra, extra careful. This new rule will make a variety of birth control options accessible to people who might not have been able to afford them otherwise, and even enable people to double or triple up on methods, which will make it even less likely that they will end up with an unwanted pregnancy.
This is also good for men, by the way. Transmen and cis men who don’t want to knock anyone up, catch an STI, or give anyone an STI. Personally I have always found it deeply illogical, even just from a purely economic perspective, that the government does not just provide free and easily accessible free condoms to everyone to begin with. (While we are here, PrEP should also be free.)
This will also be a great help to those who (for instance!) have the kind of health insurance I once had, where you technically have health insurance but can’t actually see a doctor because the only doctor less than three bus/train rides away from you that takes your ACA plan is a giant weirdo in a dirty-looking building who won’t even begin talk to you about getting your meds until you hear his pitch about his very expensive nutrition and weight-loss programs.
It would be swell if we could also do something for the eight percent of Americans who do not have health insurance, given that they are the people who would have the most trouble seeking treatment were they to get pregnant or get an STI, but that would make too much sense for the US.
The new rules will be subject to 60 days of public comment before they can be finalized.
Frankly, it’s a pretty clever move from a strategic perspective as well, because it will likely force Trump and Vance to either concede that it is a good plan (unlikely!) or force them to say some very ignorant and wacky things about birth control and condoms and those who use them.
PREVIOUSLY ON WONKETTE!
OT: Dallas Morning News endorsed Colin Allred for Senate. The Cruz insults flew fast and thick.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus on twitter
"I don't know about you, but I'd really like to get the government out of my f*cking snatch."