New York, NY—Physicians for Reproductive Health stands in proud support of Senator Patty Murray’s bill, the Affordability Is Access Act, announced today. This bill will enable women to access one of the most popular forms of birth control, with or without a prescription, and without cost-sharing or co-pays.
Background: All private health insurance plans are currently required to cover FDA-approved forms of contraception. The Affordability Is Access Act would ensure coverage of all daily-use oral contraception that has been approved or regulated for over-the-counter use by the FDA. By requiring insurers to cover over-the-counter birth control, the Act keeps contraception affordable — unlike the over-the-counter birth control bill introduced in May by Senate Republicans. The bill also ensures that retailers will not interfere with women accessing contraception.
“It’s a commonsense and pragmatic approach to improving access to birth control.”
Our board chair, Dr. Nancy Stanwood, issued the following statement:
“As a physician, I applaud Senator Murray for advancing women’s health with the Access Is Affordability Act. It’s a commonsense and pragmatic approach to improving women’s access to birth control.
“In 2015, medicine should be about safety, access, and affordability. This bill covers all three of these. We know that over-the-counter birth control is safe. And we know that when cost isn’t an impediment, women are able to get the birth control they need. That makes it easier for them to care for themselves and their families and lead productive lives. When the FDA approves birth control for over-the-counter use, women will be able to access it and afford it with this approach.”