The Obama administration issued tighter rules on contraception offered by insurance companies, requiring insurers to pay for at least one form of birth control.
The guidance, issued as a set of FAQs, followed reports by health advocates that some insurers have been charging co-pays or not covering certain birth control methods at all, in violation of Affordable Care Act requirements.
The administration emphasized that insurance plan must cover at least one of the 18 methods approved under the ACA without charging a co-payment.
The ACA requires insurers to cover certain “preventive” health services without additional charge. It includes birth control in this category, along with immunizations, checkups, and screenings for genetic mutations linked to increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and other services.
