Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Becerra, Walsh Take Up Contraception Coverage Complaints With Insurers
Politico: Top Biden Officials Press Insurers On Contraceptive Coverage
Two Cabinet secretaries met with insurers Monday to ensure they provide contraceptives without cost to enrollees. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh convened the meeting with 14 major health insurers and payer groups days after a Supreme Court decision overturned Roe v. Wade leaving states to decide abortion’s legality. In a concurrent opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas said the court should reconsider its 1965 ruling that established a right to contraception. (Owermohle, 6/27)
The Hill: Biden Officials Press Insurers On Free Contraception Coverage
In a statement, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said they are concerned about complaints that some plans are not following the law and denying coverage in certain instances. “The departments expect plans and issuers to immediately take steps to ensure that they are complying, and they may take enforcement or other corrective actions as appropriate,” they said. The ACA requires that insurers cover at least one form of contraception for each method that’s been cleared or approved by the Food and Drug Administration without cost sharing. (Weixel, 6/27)
Demand for Plan B grows —
Bloomberg: CVS, Rite Aid Ration Contraceptive Pills As Demand Surges
CVS Health Corp. and Rite Aid Corp. pharmacies are limiting purchases of emergency contraceptive pills as demand for the medication surged following the US Supreme Court decision that struck down the constitutional right to abortion. CVS is temporarily limiting purchases to three pills per customer to ensure equitable access and consistent supply on store shelves, a spokesperson said Monday. The pharmacy chain has ample supply of the emergency contraceptives Plan B and Aftera, both online and in store, the spokesperson said. Rite Aid is also limiting purchases of Plan B to three per customer due to increased demand, a spokesperson for the company said. (Rutherford and Nicole Smith, 6/27)
Fox News: Emergency Contraception, Like Plan B, Unscathed After SCOTUS Reverses Roe V. Wade: Report
People across the U.S. can still buy and access contraception, USA Today reported. In his concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote, "Overruling Roe does not mean the overruling of" precedents involving the right to contraception, though Democratic-nominated justices and legal analysts disagree. Deciding the best option for emergency contraception depends on several factors: 1) time lapsed after unprotected sex, 2) a woman’s weight, 3) if a woman is breastfeeding, 4) cost and 5) which type is most easily accessible, according to Planned Parenthood. Emergency contraception is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy within 5 days after unprotected sex that works by preventing sperm from meeting an egg, according to the non-profit’s website. (Sudhakar, 6/27)
Kansas City Star: Plan B Is Available In Missouri: How It Works & Where To Find
Morning after pills or emergency contraceptives, like Plan B are still available in Missouri following the state’s trigger ban on nearly all abortions. Pharmacies around Kansas City including Walgreens, CVS, Target and Walmart all have emergency contraception pills in stock and available for purchase. After abortion was banned in Missouri following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, some readers have written to The Star with concerns about access to emergency contraceptives and other forms of birth control. Here’s what we know so far about Plan B in Missouri. (Phillips, 6/27)
NPR: Emergency Contraception Pills Are Safe, But Not Always Available
Surveys show that roughly a quarter of American women have, at some point in their lives, used emergency contraception pills to prevent an unintended pregnancy. This type of contraception is effective, safe and legal throughout the United States. And yet researchers are finding it's not always available when people need it. Take, for example, levonorgestrel, a form of emergency contraception better known under the brand name Plan B, although it's also available in generic versions with names including My Way, Take Action and My Choice, to name a few. Borrero says Plan B is supposed to be available over the counter, on the shelf, stocked for all ages. (Godoy, 6/28)
On abortion pill access —
AP: Instagram And Facebook Remove Posts Offering Abortion Pills
Facebook and Instagram have begun promptly removing posts that offer abortion pills to women who may not be able to access them following a Supreme Court decision that stripped away constitutional protections for the procedure. Such social media posts ostensibly aimed to help women living in states where preexisting laws banning abortion suddenly snapped into effect on Friday. That’s when the high court overruled Roe v. Wade, its 1973 decision that declared access to abortion a constitutional right. (Seitz, 6/28)
