The Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, requires health insurance plans to cover FDA-approved contraception without co-payments or deductibles, but proponents of the legislation say the “guarantee” makes no sense if you can be denied service at the pharmacist`s counter. Current articleIs Plan B still legal? There is confusion in some states. Part of that fear stems from the fact that 13 states have trigger bans that can now easily go into effect after Roe is overthrown; However, these prohibitions do not apply to emergency contraceptives such as Plan B or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Missouri Senator Paul Wieland, one of the Republicans who led this effort, explained his position this way: “The bottom line is that there`s only one time something definitely happens, and that`s conception time. Once that happens, not everything that happens should be funded by the government. [13] Memorandum Re: Emergency Contraception by Thomas Kring, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an Regional Health Administrators (April 23, 1997), available at www.hhs.gov/opa/familyplanning/toolsdocs/opa97-2.pdf. Wieland, the senator from Missouri, is among those who have a broad view of contraceptive methods that could constitute an abortion. He lobbied last year for the measure that would have prevented Missouri Medicaid from paying for Plan B and IUDs. The Access to Birth Control Act would circumvent these laws by requiring every pharmacy to provide contraceptives “immediately” to the customer who requests it.
Since the late 1990s, state legislators have taken different paths to expand access to emergency contraception. First, some states have mandated hospitals to provide emergency contraceptive services to people who have been sexually assaulted. Second, some states allow a person to receive the drug without having to get a prescription from a doctor. Third, one State restricted the ability of pharmacists to refuse to dispense emergency contraceptives on moral or ethical grounds. Finally, regulations in some states discourage pharmacists from refusing to fill contraceptive prescriptions, with one state going so far as to require pharmacies stocking contraceptives to dispense all contraceptive methods. At the same time, other states have sought to restrict access by excluding emergency contraception from family planning extensions or Medicaid contraceptive mandates, or by allowing pharmacists and possibly some pharmacies to refuse to provide contraceptive services (see Denial of Medical Services). Some states, such as Idaho and Louisiana, have already discussed possible future restrictions on morning-after pills and even IUDs. In Idaho, legislator Brent Crane has expressed his desire to hold hearings on a possible ban on emergency contraceptives. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §2907.29 requires any hospital providing emergency services to provide sexual assault survivors with information about STDs, pregnancy, medical and mental health services available.
The Act mandates the State Health Board to establish evidence-gathering procedures for victims of sexual offenses. The council created the Ohio Protocol for Forensic and Medical Examinations of Sexual Assault, which requires medical staff to discuss and propose emergency contraceptive options with survivors of sexual assault. “We had concerns because the state has tried repeatedly and in various ways to limit and limit funding for Planned Parenthood, and they said they would ask to make sure none of the funds went to them,” Trupiano said. This spring, the Biden administration gave the board a five-year grant. Although laws banning Plan B or similar morning-after pills have still been passed, recent events have left many Americans concerned about how future laws might affect women`s birth control options in the United States. With all the confusion online, it`s natural to have a few (or several) questions. While morning-after pills work differently than abortion pills, which terminate a pregnancy after an egg implants in a pregnant person`s uterus, some lawmakers have used the Supreme Court`s ruling to consider restricting access to emergency contraception, Insider reports. In addition, ambiguous laws have caused confusion in many states where abortion is now illegal. “At the state level, we`ve seen in recent years that some legislators are merging birth control and abortion, especially certain methods, and trying to stigmatize birth control,” said Mara Gandal-Powers, director of birth control and senior legal counsel at the National Women`s Law Center, an advocacy group that promotes gender equality. “This is not a future problem. That is a problem now.
Emergency contraception is used as a backup contraceptive method to prevent pregnancy in cases of unprotected sex, sexual assault, or contraceptive failure, such as a broken condom. The EC does not terminate pregnancy, stop the implantation of a fertilized egg, or affect a developing embryo. There are several methods of UC available in the United States, including progestin-based pills, ulipristal acetate, and intrauterine devices (IUDs) (Table 1). Copper and levonorgestrel IUDs can be used after unprotected sex and as regular ongoing contraceptive methods. EC pills should only be used after unprotected sex and are not intended for regular use. For more information on state laws relating to pharmacists` conscience clauses, including states that allow a pharmacist to refuse to dispense emergency contraception, please click here. Wieland and her Republican colleagues in the Missouri House of Representatives blocked two measures this year that advocates of women`s reproduction say have improved access to birth control. Pharmacists were reportedly allowed to prescribe and dispense certain forms of contraceptives, such as birth control pills and patches. The other would have required insurers to cover a 12-month supply of oral contraceptives at a time, rather than the typical one- or three-month care, a practice that advocates say reduces the likelihood of unplanned pregnancies. Neither bill was successful. [12] Memorandum Re: Information for Pharmacy Staff on Plan B® by Lawrence H. Mokhiber, Executive Secretary of the New York State Board of Pharmacy, to all pharmacies in New York State (February 2007) available from www.op.nysed.gov/pharm-planb.htm.
“Missouri`s law is ambiguous but can be interpreted as criminalizing emergency contraception,” said Laurel Gifford, a spokeswoman for the health system. “To ensure that we comply with all state and federal laws — and until the law is better defined in this area — Saint Luke`s will not provide emergency contraception at our Missouri sites,” Gifford added. Note: The list may not be complete, but it is representative of existing state laws. NCSL welcomes additions and corrections. Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures, StateNet, Guttmacher Institute. The order directs the Minister of Health (HHS) to “take additional steps to expand access to all reproductive health services, including family planning services and providers, such as access to emergency contraception and long-acting reversible contraceptives such as intrauterine devices (IUDs).” Three in ten women of childbearing age in the United States report using EC pills. The use of emergency contraception has increased significantly since it entered the market in the United States.