Hi,

For the first time, over-the-counter (OTC) birth control will soon be
available in the United States. In a post-Roe country where Republicans
are pushing for a national abortion ban, this expanded birth control
access is critical.^1

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Opill,
a safe, effective birth control pill identical to the prescription
version. The pill will make birth control far more accessible to
Americans, particularly young people and low-income people.^2

But under current guidelines, the drug will remain out of reach for
millions, because OTC contraceptives aren’t covered by most health
insurance plans.^2 President Biden must step in now and require that
insurance providers cover the cost of OTC birth control.

[ [link removed] ]Sign the petition: Birth control should be accessible to everyone.
Insurance companies must cover over-the-counter birth control!

ADD YOUR NAME

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, private health insurance plans are
largely required to pay for contraception prescribed by a doctor. But
because Opill will be available without a prescription, insurance
companies will likely opt not to cover it.

Without insurance coverage, millions of Americans won’t be able to afford
Opill. In a recent survey, 88% of young people reported difficulty
accessing a birth control prescription, and 55% faced so many barriers
they could not get on birth control pills at all.^3 As Senator Patty
Murray said, “Affordability IS access.”^4

President Biden has taken clear, vital actions to protect access to
contraceptives.^5 But for Opill to be truly accessible to all, President
Biden must quickly issue updated guidelines to ensure the pill is fully
covered by insurance when it hits the shelves early next year.

[ [link removed] ]Add your name: President Biden, act to ensure birth control is
accessible to everyone!

Thanks for taking action,

Joey and the team at Demand Progress

[ [link removed] ]DONATE

Sources:

 1. New York Times, “F.D.A. Approves First U.S. Over-the-Counter Birth
Control Pill,” [ [link removed] ]July 13, 2023.
 2. NPR, “The chiefs of failed banks will be in the Senate hot seat today
about what went wrong—and why CEOs were paid millions,” [ [link removed] ]July 19,
2023.
 3. Advocates for Youth, “BEHIND THE COUNTER: Findings from the 2022 Oral
Contraceptives Access Survey,” [ [link removed] ]2022.
 4. Senator Patty Murray, “Murray, Hirono, Cortez Masto Rally for
Over-The-Counter Birth Control, Reintroduce Affordability is Access
Act,” [ [link removed] ]May 18, 2023.
 5. The White House, “FACT SHEET: President Biden Issues Executive Order
on Strengthening Access to Contraception,” [ [link removed] ]June 23, 2023.

 
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