New rules that would require most insurers to cover over-the-counter contraceptives at no cost and without a prescription were proposed by the Biden administration on Monday.
The move comes just weeks before the presidential election, and Vice President Kamala Harris has made reproductive rights a key part of her ongoing campaign for the presidency.
The rules would build on the Affordable Care Act, which former President Donald Trump has said he would replace if reelected. Under current guidance, coverage without cost-sharing for certain over-the-counter preventative services is only required when a patient has a prescription. The Biden Administration said it wants to curb such “unduly burdensome requirements.”
The proposal also calls for more covered options for contraception, such as a broader choice of birth control pills or IUDs.
“Birth control is a critical part of so many of our patients’ lives, but the simple truth is that even with insurance coverage, the cost of copays can be prohibitive for many people,” Stella Dantas, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told Endpoints News.
Senate Democrats have been pushing for expanded coverage for contraception for years, and in Monday’s announcement Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su called the proposed rules a “long overdue step” in support of reproductive rights.