Legislation that would require Rhode Island health insurers to cover contraceptives at no cost, independent of federal law, was heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Dawn Euer, who represents Newport and Jamestown, is aimed at preserving contraceptive coverage for Rhode Islanders even if the Affordable Care Act’s requirements are weakened or overturned. Since the ACA took effect in 2010, most Americans have been able to access contraception without out-of-pocket costs. Before the law, more than one in five women paid out-of-pocket for contraceptives, expenses that comprised an estimated 30 to 44 percent of their total health care spending, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“The urgent need for this bill has only increased as the years have gone on,” Euer said. “Our federal health policy has grown more and more detached from good science and best medical practices. Let’s make this the year we enshrine these protections in Rhode Island law before it’s too late.”
Under the bill, insurers would be required to cover all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs or their generic equivalents, as well as devices, voluntary sterilization procedures, patient education, counseling and follow-up services. Patients could not be charged a deductible or copay, with a limited exception for those enrolled in qualifying high-deductible plans. The bill would also require Medicaid to cover a 12-month supply of contraceptives.
The ACA has faced more than 2,000 legal challenges since its passage. The U.S. Supreme Court narrowed its contraceptive coverage requirements in 2014 and again in 2020, and additional court challenges remain active.
Rep. Karen Alzate, D-Pawtucket, has introduced companion legislation in the House.
