Oregon Poised to Become First to Guarantee Year-Long Access To Birth Control
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
House Bill 3343 will guarantee that women have access to a full 12-month supply of contraception at a time. Medical research has shown that dispensing a one-year supply of birth control will decrease the chances of an unplanned pregnancy by 30 percent.
This makes Oregon the first state in the nation to require health insurance companies to give a year’s supply of the pill, the patch or the ring at the same time.
"With this bill, Oregon will lead the nation - once again - in improving women's health care and reducing the cost of health care," said Mary Nolan, Interim Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon. "This is the most significant leap forward for reducing unintended pregnancies in a generation."
Making contraception more accessible will also save insurance companies money. By preventing just one pregnancy, an insurer will save nearly $17,400, which is the cost of a delivery. That is enough money to pay for 29 additional years of contraception.
"Prescriptive contraceptives are highly effective and an important part of family planning for many Oregonians, but they need to be used consistently," said Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward (D-Beaverton), who carried the bill on the floor and is a family physician. "Ensuring that women have access to 12 continuous months of birth control will improve consistent use and better serve women juggling demanding schedules."
This bill will now go to Governor Kate Brown for her consideration.
Related Slideshow: 20 Oregon Hospitals That Charge The Most
Which Oregon hospitals charge the most? Act Now for a Healthy Oregon analyzed 2013 data from Oregon Health Authority’s Inpatient Discharge Data for each of the 100 most frequent MSDRG primary diagnoses. An average charge was calculated per diagnosis (MSDRG) per hospital for patients with commercial insurance.
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