White House says health insurance needs to fully cover condoms, other over-the-counter birth control

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — People with private health insurance would be able to pick up over-the-counter methods like condoms, the “morning after” pill and birth control pills for free under a new rule the White House proposed on Monday. Without a doctor’s prescription, women may pay as much as $50 for “morning after” pills. And women who delay buying the medication in order to get a doctor’s prescription could jeopardize the pill’s effectiveness, since it is most likely to prevent a pregnancy within 72 hours after sex. The new rule would also require insurers to fully bear the cost of the once-a-day Opill, the only FDA-approved over-the-counter birth control pill.