CNA Staff, Nov 3, 2023 / 10:28 am
A group of Democratic senators is asking the White House to require insurance companies to cover over-the-counter (OTC) hormonal birth control, which was recently approved by federal regulators.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July approved the first nonprescription oral contraceptive, called “Opill.” The drug is expected to be available in pharmacies and online in 2024.
Previously, oral contraceptives required a doctor’s visit and a prescription for women to access them. The FDA’s ruling paves the way for such drugs to be available in pharmacies and drugstores for purchase without any oversight from a doctor.
In their letter last week, the Democratic senators asked the Biden administration to “ensure coverage for OTC contraceptive products” in “all federally and state-regulated private health plans and federally and state-regulated and run coverage programs.”