Legislative Background on Contraceptive Coverage
Recent Action by Congress on the Birth Control Mandate
One of the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010, is the requirement that health plans cover preventive services for women, without deductibles or copayments. Before developing regulations, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requested recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) regarding which preventive services to cover. Among other services, the IOM recommended coverage of “the full range” of Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive methods and sterilization. HHS Regulations and Legislative Response. In August 2011, HHS published an interim final rule requiring that, beginning in August 2012, health insurance…
