Pennsylvania House Insurance Committee approves bill for expanded contraceptive insurance coverage Premium Scholorships Info

The Pennsylvania House Insurance Committee has unanimously approved a bill that expands insurance coverage for contraception in the state.

House Bill 1140, sponsored by Rep. Leanne Krueger (D-Delaware), aims to restrict copayments for contraceptive drugs and give patients greater freedom to choose their preferred form of contraception.

Krueger, who has introduced the contraceptives bill in every legislative session since 2020, said that the current version reflects a compromise between stakeholders.

“The contraceptive access for all act will put a stake in the ground and say that here in Pennsylvania, you and your healthcare are protected,” Krueger said.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 30 states require insurers that cover prescription drugs to also cover FDA-approved prescription contraceptives. Pennsylvania is not one of those states.

“The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires all non-grandfathered group health and individual health insurance plans to cover certain preventive health services with no cost sharing, e.g., copayment, coinsurance or deductible,” the NCSL said. “States expand upon federal requirements to address access to contraception through various policy levers, including insurance requirements, scope of practice modifications for advanced practice clinicians and pharmacists and other provider requirements.”

In addition to preventing pregnancy, Krueger highlighted several other benefits of contraceptives covered under the bill, including reduced menstrual pain, lower risk of gynecological disorders, and decreased risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer.

The bill was amended with technical edits before being approved by the committee and has been moved to the House Rules Committee to determine the best procedures for bringing the bill back to the floor.

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