Prescription contraceptives must be covered - Health Insurance - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Feb, 2004

Susan (identity changed), like millions of women, had a problem. Her employer, Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, did not provide insurance for prescription contraceptives, so Susan paid for them out-of-pocket. The hospital covered other prescription drugs and preventative care, so Susan asked her employer to include contraceptives. When she hit a wall, she contacted the National Women's Law Center, Washington, D.C. After NWLC attorneys wrote the hospital to inform the administration that these actions were illegal under Federal and state laws against sex discrimination in employment, Lenox Hill ultimately relented.

In addition to the Federal and state laws against sex discrimination in the workplace, 20 states have passed legislation requiting insurance companies to cover prescription contraceptives if they do so with other prescription drugs. To help women use these insurance laws to get coverage for prescription contraceptives, NWLC has released the guide, "Contraceptive Equity Laws in Your State: Know Your Rights--Use Your Rights."

The guide provides a state-by-state summary of the key provisions of the contraceptive equity laws, procedures for filing a complaint if your insurance company does not cover birth control, contact information for state insurance departments, and complaint forms. "Access to contraception is a central part of women's health care. It's absolutely essential for women to know that there are new laws to help them get insurance coverage for prescription contraceptives--and that we are here to help them understand and exercise their rights," asserts Judith C. Applebaum, NWLC vice president and legal director.