ObamaCare has saved women $1.4 billion on birth control pills
Since the Affordable Care Act mandate for insurance companies to cover contraception took effect in August 2012, women have saved an estimated $1.4 billion on birth control pills. A new report published in the journal Health Affairs found that, on average, spending on a single birth control prescription has decreased from $32.74 to $20.37, saving individuals $255 annually. Savings extend to forms of birth control other than the pill, too. Out-of-pocket spending on intrauterine devices has fallen by an estimated 68 percent, equating to individual savings of $248 annually.
"It turns out the law is doing exactly what the law says should be done," the study's lead author, Nora Becker, told Newsweek. "I was surprised by the speed at which we've seen a drop in price." The ACA now requires insurers to cover all FDA-approved forms of birth control, without any copayments or deductibles.
However, some women still aren't reaping the benefits of this mandate. Investigations by Kaiser Family Foundation found that some insurers are still evading the mandate due to a loophole, The Huffington Post reports. Since some private insurance plans that were grandfathered in under ObamaCare do not have to cover birth control, some women are still paying for it out of pocket.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 1, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - election on the brain, Bannon emerges, and more
By The Week US Published
-
US election: who the billionaires are backing
The Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'United States of Anxiety'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
McDonald's sued over E. coli linked to burger
Speed Read The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states and left one dead
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Seattle Children's Hospital sues Texas over 'sham' demand for transgender medical records
Speed Read Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subpoenaed records of any Texan who received gender-affirming care at the Washington hospital
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Afghanistan has a growing female suicide problem
Speed Read The Taliban has steadily whittled away women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan over the past 2 years, prompting a surge in depression and suicide
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US life expectancy rose in 2022 but not to pre-pandemic levels
Speed Read Life expectancy is slowly crawling back up
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Vallance diaries: Boris Johnson 'bamboozled' by Covid science
Speed Read Then PM struggled to get his head around key terms and stats, chief scientific advisor claims
By The Week UK Published