The Affordable Care Act's (ACA) (PL 111-148) contraceptive coverage rules have increased options and decreased out-of-pocket costs for birth control, according to a pair of new studies in Health Affairs, FierceHealthcare reports.
Under the ACA, insurers must cover all contraceptive methods approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Key findings
One study found that after the rules took effect, the percentage of oral contraceptives filled at no out-of-pocket cost increased from 6 to 92 percent.
The study also found the ACA increased contraceptive options for women with employer-sponsored insurance coverage. According to the study, women were more likely to pick long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), which prior to the ACA had substantially higher up-front costs. The researchers explained that LARC methods are more effective than oral contraception and could lead to "substantial" savings by curbing the unintended pregnancy rate.
A second study assessed the use of oral contraceptives before and after the ACA's contraceptive coverage rules took effect. The researchers found that for women with employer-sponsored coverage, the average monthly cost for generic birth control pills decreased from $11.80 in 2010 to $1.34 in 2013. Among the same population, the average monthly cost for brand-name oral contraception decreased from $35.06 to $15.61 over the same time period.
According to the study, lower out-of-pocket costs were linked to more consistent use and lower rates of discontinuation among women using generic oral contraceptives. "Our findings suggest that the ACA may play a role in improving consistent contraceptive use," the researchers wrote. "However, continuation of and adherence to the pill remain suboptimal, which suggests that other factors are important contributors to these problems" (Sweeney, FierceHealthcare, 9/8).
