Biden proposes requiring private insurers cover over-the-counter birth control
USA TodayOct 22
White House: Insurance Should Cover Over-the-Counter Birth Control
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The Facts
US Pres. Joe Biden's administration is proposing a new rule that would require health insurance companies to cover over-the-counter (OTC) birth control, including the morning-after (Plan B) pill, spermicides, and condoms with no copay.
While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires prescribed pills and some prescribed condoms to be covered, women currently pay upwards of $50 for a pack of Plan B pills, and $20 per month for the recently approved OTC drug Opill.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
American women are facing ongoing attacks on their bodily autonomy, so the Biden administration is trying to make life easier and more affordable. The Affordable Care Act made history by forcing companies to cover prescribed contraceptives, but millions of women are still being forced to foot the bill. This new rule will ensure women don't break the bank just because they need reproductive medicine.
Republican narrative
Given that the Affordable Care Act already subsidizes contraceptives for those who can least afford them, there's absolutely no need to expand this coverage further. Besides the negative economic consequences, there are moral concerns related to forcing companies to cover birth control. Liberal US bureaucrats have to stop forcing their anti-fertility agenda on the rest of America.
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