Insurance Coverage of Contraception
Access to contraception is central to women's autonomy and equality. Contraception is basic health care and should be treated as such as a matter of public policy. And improving access to birth control is a critical way to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy in the United States. Allowing women to control the timing of pregnancy helps prevent maternal death, low birth-weight babies, and infant mortality. It also allows women to prepare emotionally and financially for the task of parenting, a step proven to be absolutely necessary for long term health of a woman and her child. While most insurers generally cover prescription drugs, not all insurers cover all prescription contraceptives. Only about half of all states require insurance companies to cover prescription contraceptives, and almost all of them have exceptions. By limiting access to contraception, insurance companies neglect women's need to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Women, especially low-income women, may not be able to afford birth control without insurance coverage. In 2000, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) found that excluding prescription coverage for contraceptives in health insurance plans violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act as sex discrimination. In Erickson v. Bartell Drug Co. (2001), a federal district court also ruled that exclusion of contraception from its comprehensive prescription coverage was a violation of Title VII. In 2002, after four years of aggressive grassroots lobbying led by NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, the Commonwealth passed legislation requiring private health insurance plans in the state to cover the cost of FDA-approved prescription contraceptives.
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