Millions of Americans will soon be able to access over-the-counter contraception at no out-of-pocket cost.
The Biden administration's proposal, filed Monday, coincides with abortion overtaking immigration as the top concern of this election cycle.
If they succeed, those with private health insurance will be able to get condoms, birth control pills and emergency contraceptives without a prescription. Currently, health insurers are required to cover the cost of these products, but only for people who have been authorized by prescription.
Women without one currently pay up to $50 for a box of Plan B.
“The proposed rule we are announcing today will expand access to birth control at no additional cost to millions of consumers,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
“Bottom line: women should be in control of their personal health care decisions. And publishers and providers have an obligation to comply with the law.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris, who tied her presidential campaign on promises to expand access to health care for women, emphasized the importance of the rule in light of the 2022 Supreme Court decision that struck down nationwide abortion rights.
“We will continue to fight for women's access to reproductive health care,” Harris said at a recent campaign rally in Philadelphia.
The statement announcing the policy said reproductive rights were “under attack” and that “every state should have the freedom to make deeply personal health care decisions.”
She and Biden worked to create a stark contrast to Republicans, particularly former President Donald Trump, whose judicial appointments helped dismantle federal protections against abortion with the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Under the new rule, emergency contraceptives, known to many as the “morning-after pill,” will become more available without a prescription.
Emergency contraception is usually taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy,
The rule would eliminate this financial burden, potentially benefiting millions of women who previously had to delay access to contraception due to prescription requirements.
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In addition to emergency contraceptives, the rule would require insurers to fully cover Opill, the first birth control pill approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year.
A one-month supply of Opill typically costs about $20 for those without insurance, making the proposed coverage a significant financial relief for many people seeking safe, regular contraceptive care.
The rule stems from mandates first introduced by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which required insurance plans to cover FDA-approved contraceptive methods prescribed by doctors.
However, the ACA did not initially require insurers to cover over-the-counter birth control methods. Urgent attention is being paid to closing this gap by offering a wider range of contraceptive options to those with private insurance.
It is important to note that the proposed rule would not affect Medicaid coverage, which is left to individual states to regulate.
Few states currently include over-the-counter contraception such as condoms or Plan B in their Medicaid plans. Women in states yet to expand Medicaid eligibility are among the most at risk of not having coverage for their reproductive rights.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press