Dear John,

Let me tell you a story about Julia.

Julia is the wife of a non-active duty service member who was charged out-of-pocket for a three-month supply of birth control. Due to the exorbitant costs, she could no longer afford her prescription. That is unacceptable. Everyone deserves access to the reproductive health care they need, which includes access to birth control, without barriers. Next week, Congress is set to take a critical vote to close this coverage gap.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurance coverage of birth control is guaranteed at no cost for 64.3 million women, nationwide. Unfortunately, this guarantee still doesn’t apply to TRICARE, the military health insurance program, excluding many military families from getting the reproductive health care they need. While active duty servicemembers can access birth control without copays, non-active duty servicemembers and dependents still must pay out of pocket for birth control depending on where they get their care.

Next week, we expect a House committee vote on a critical amendment addressing this lack of coverage. This amendment would guarantee access to no-cost contraception for TRICARE beneficiaries who still face copays. We must act now and tell Congress to eliminate contraception copays in the annual defense spending bill and pass the Access to Contraception for Servicemembers and Dependents Act.

We know how important it is to eliminate barriers to birth control, which helps everyone make the best decisions for themselves if and when they decide to become pregnant. Birth control coverage should be guaranteed to everyone no matter where they work or how they get their insurance, and that includes servicemembers and their families. Tell Congress: EVERYONE deserves access to birth control!

In solidarity,

Jackii Wang
she/her/hers
Senior Legislative Analyst
National Women's Law Center