RELEASE: Governor Whitmer Announces New Program to Provide Free Contraception to Michiganders, Lowering the Cost of Access to Family Planning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 23, 2024

Gov. Whitmer Announces New Program to Provide Free Contraception to Michiganders, Lowering the Cost of Access to Family Planning

Program launches in November, administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a new program, Take Control of your Birth Control to ensure Michigan families have access to free contraception including over-the-counter oral birth control pills, emergency contraception, condoms, and family planning educational resources through community partners and federally qualified health centers across the state during the month of November. Take Control of Your Birth Control is funded through the bipartisan budget, and comes as the Biden-Harris administration proposes that insurance covers over-the-counter birth control.

“Everyone, no matter how much money they make, deserves to make their own decisions about their own reproductive health and future,” said Governor Whitmer. “With our family planning initiative, ‘Take Control of Your Birth Control,’ we are building on our work to protect reproductive freedom for all Michiganders. By expanding access to essential family planning tools, we are underscoring our commitment to ensuring Michiganders, along with their families and trusted health care providers, can make their own decisions about their own bodies and lives.”

“Family planning tools are an essential component of public health all Michigan residents should be able to access,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive. “We want to make sure that individuals who need and want these tools can easily obtain them, and we are committed to helping people take control of their reproductive health in a way that is both empowered and informed.”

This effort was made possible thanks to the work of the Michigan legislature, who secured $5.6 million in this year’s bipartisan budget to support DHHS’s expansion of its family planning program. The goal is to ensure individuals, regardless of their circumstances, have access to tools that allow them to make informed decisions about their health and future. Beginning in November, organizations will distribute emergency contraception, condoms, and over-the-counter oral contraceptive, for free to the general public, regardless of insurance and will continue as long as supplies are available.

Alongside free supplies, Take Control of Your Birth Control will give Michiganders the information they need to continue to get vital supplies covered going forward. This campaign reflects the state’s ongoing commitment to ensuring equitable access to reproductive health services. Beginning in November, Michigan families are encouraged to visit michigan.gov/takecontrol to find an interactive map of organizations participating in the effort and learn more about how to access these essential resources.

“The freedom to plan is as essential as reproductive healthcare access. With programs like Plan First and the Reproductive Health Act, we’re ensuring Michiganders can make informed decisions about their health and their future," said state Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City). "With other states making it more difficult to obtain preventative screenings and birth control, I'm glad Michigan is expanding this vital healthcare coverage and protecting personal choice when it comes to family planning.”

“The ‘Take Control of your Birth Control’ initiative will help people in multiple ways,” said state Rep. Jaime Churches (D-Wyandotte). “It will help people save money by providing free contraceptives and family planning educational resources. This will be a huge step in helping people save their hard-earned dollars, as well as helping them better plan for if, when and how they want to start a family. This is all about making health care equitable. Thank you to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for taking this step to ensure people have access to health care needs.”

“Access to family planning tools, including access to contraception at no cost in Michigan, just got easier thanks to this initiative. Reproductive health care, including family planning decisions, is an individual matter between the person seeking care and their physician,” said state Rep. Jennifer Conlin (D-Ann Arbor Charter Township). “This initiative underscores that principle by empowering Michiganders to educate themselves to take action and access what they need without shame or fear of retribution for being in control of their lives and reproductive rights.”

“As we continue the work to ensure access to reproductive health care for all, the ‘Take Control of your Birth Control’ campaign is an important step toward empowering Michiganders to make informed choices about their futures,” said state Rep. Carol Glanville (D-Walker). “Ensuring that every Michigander has access to no-cost birth control and family planning resources is essential to promoting both public health and reproductive health. I applaud Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and DHHS for their leadership in making this initiative available in West Michigan.”

“This is a giant step towards health equity for women and men. The ‘Take Control of Your Birth Control’ is another critical component of women's overall reproductive health care, in particular,” said state Rep. Stephanie A. Young (D-Detroit), chair of Families, Children and Seniors Committee. “Having access to free birth control, including condoms and other family planning resources, will help remove barriers that many face when looking for safe, personal and affordable options to family planning. Michigan is once again leading the nation in how we care for our citizens.”

Along with free birth control, the initiative will also provide information on how to apply for coverage through Medicaid and the Plan First program, which offer health care coverage for a variety of family planning services, including birth control, STI testing and treatment.

“In Michigan, we believe everyone should have the freedom to make informed decisions about their health and family on their own terms,” said state Representative John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming). “In just over a year, 20,000 Michiganders have gained access to essential health care — like birth control, pregnancy counseling, cancer screenings and STI treatment. Plan First! is about closing health care gaps and strengthening reproductive freedom — helping Michiganders decide when, how, or if they want to grow their families. We will keep fighting to protect these vital resources for all.”

“Family planning is a fundamental right,” said state Representative Jenn Hill (D-Marquette). “Through Plan First!, more Michiganders have access to affordable reproductive health services, including birth control and STI testing. This is vital health care for those who are uninsured or underinsured and for communities like those in the U.P. that often experience gaps in health care coverage. I am grateful for the increased access this program has provided over the past year, and I look forward to seeing it continue to help folks make the best decisions for themselves and their families.”

"Michigan Democrats have worked to repeal medically unnecessary regulations that unfairly targeted abortion care, and we’ve made meaningful progress in expanding access to reproductive health services for everyone. Reproductive freedom is a fundamental right, and it’s our duty to protect it at every turn," said state Senator Sue Shink (D-Northfield Twp.). "That’s why initiatives like the Plan First program are so important. They open the door to accessible and affordable care, ensuring that Michiganders can obtain the services they need to live healthy, full lives."

“Where a person lives or how much money they make should not strip them of the fundamental right to decide whether, when, and how to have children,” said state Senator Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores). “From repealing our state’s dangerous abortion ban and protecting assisted reproduction services such as IVF to funding the Plan First program, we here in Michigan are committed to supporting residents’ reproductive health at every phase and stage — ensuring all Michiganders have the freedom and resources to plan their family on their terms.”

"All Michiganders — regardless of their background, income, or zip code — deserve the fundamental human right to reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy," said state Senator Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Twp.). "My colleagues and I have fought hard to deliver on legislation that protects and expands access to reproductive health services, and we'll continue doing everything in our power to ensure that Michigan residents have the freedom to plan their families and futures on their own terms."

Plan First! is a limited Medicaid benefit covering family planning services for those who do not qualify for traditional Medicaid. It is available to individuals of any age or gender who meet monthly income requirements and are Michigan residents. This builds on the governor’s effort to make contraception more accessible, which includes Plan First!.

How to apply for Plan First!:

Apply online at Michigan.gov/mibridges.

Call 855-789-5610.

Visit a local MDHHS county office.

For additional information about Plan First, visit Michigan.gov/planfirst.

Additionally, open enrollment for health insurance begins Friday, Nov. 1. The Affordable Care Act guarantees coverage of women’s preventive services, including free birth control and contraceptive counseling, by nearly all health insurance plans. Michiganders can shop for a health insurance plan by visiting the Health Insurance Marketplace or by calling 800-318-2596.

Whether you want to have a child, adopt, or not ready yet, the governor has made sure you have the support to make the right decision for you without interference from the government.

Governor Whitmer’s Fight for Reproductive Freedom:

In June 2022, before the Dobbs decisions was leaked, Governor Whitmer filed a filed a motion urging the Michigan Supreme Court to immediately consider her lawsuit asking the court to decide if Michigan’s state constitution protects the right to abortion.

In April 2023, Governor Whitmer repealed Michigan’s extreme 1931 abortion ban.

In May 2023, signed a law prohibiting employers from discriminating against women because they’ve had an abortion.

In November 2023, Governor Whitmer signed the Reproductive Health Act, which repealed politically motivated, medically unnecessary statutes that criminalized nurses and doctors, forced health care providers to close, raised costs for patients, and restricted access to abortion.

In December 2023, Governor Whitmer signed legislation protecting health care workers from violence while on the job and the final piece of the Reproductive Health Act that forced Michiganders to buy a separate insurance rider for reproductive health care.

In February 2024, immediately following the ruling of the Alabama Supreme Court, Governor Whitmer ordered the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to issue a reminder to health care providers that they are protected under state law from extradition.

In March 2024, Governor Whitmer filed a motion to protect reproductive freedom from a legal challenge on Proposition 3, which enshrined abortion rights in the constitution following a ballot measure in 2022.

In April 2024, Governor Whitmer signed the Michigan Family Protection Act to legalize surrogacy and protect access to IVF.

In May 2024, Governor Whitmer directed the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to issue a reminder to Michiganders to be cautious of data privacy laws after reports of law enforcement using personal health data to prosecute those seeking reproductive care.

For other family planning resources, including information about low- or no-cost reproductive health services provided by the State of Michigan, including under the state’s Medicaid program, visit Family Planning.

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