6 Increasing access to contraceptive coverage makes economic sense. Many health insurance plans cover prescription drugs but exclude prescription contraceptives. The lack of insurance coverage puts contraceptives beyond the financial reach of many women of childbearing age. In the absence of comprehensive coverage, many women opt for cheaper over the counter products that are more likely to fail. Including contraception as part of insurance coverage would save insurers money.
Contraceptives cost less than services related to pregnancy.
3 Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, Contraceptive Bills Gain Momentum in State Legislatures, August 1999. 4 Washington State Insurance Commissioner, Reproductive Health Benefits Survey, 1998. 5 Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 1998. The Guttmacher Report, The Need for and Cost of Mandating Private Insurance Coverage for Contraception, August 1998. The public said yes.