Legislation allows for 12-month supply, pharmacist prescription of birth control
Press Release
LANSING, Mich., Nov. 14, 2024 — The Michigan House of Representatives passed the Contraception Equity Package this week. The three-bill package will increase access to reproductive care by requiring insurance coverage of and allowing pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives.
House Bill 5013, sponsored by state Rep. Julie M. Rogers (D-Kalamazoo) who chairs the House Committee on Health Policy, would require insurers to cover a 12-month supply of prescription contraceptives, rather than limiting people to a one- or three-month supply at a time. This includes hormonal drugs, whether administered orally, transdermally or intravaginally that require a prescription and are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent pregnancy.
“As a health care provider, I recognize the need for access to adequate health care, and a year’s supply of contraceptives will help ensure continuous and consistent use,” Rogers said. “The bills in the Contraceptive Equity Package are proven policies that will improve the lives of Michigan residents and lower health care costs. It is essential for individuals in this state that we remove barriers to birth control and ensure a consistent and readily accessible supply. For people who work, go to school, raise children, or have other demanding schedules, a 12-month supply of birth control will eliminate the burden of making a monthly trip to the pharmacy. If Texas can do it, so can Michigan.”
State Rep. Stephanie Young (D-Detroit) sponsored House Bill 5435, which would require insurers to cover prescriptions for hormonal contraceptives prescribed and dispensed at in-network pharmacies.
“As the debate about an individual’s right to choose what’s best for her as it relates to her own reproductive health care, the timing couldn’t be better for the passage of the Contraception Equity Package. My bill in the package will ensure a prescription written by a pharmacist is honored for payment by the insurance provider. This will save time, money and remove potential transportation barriers for women seeking this care. It’s simply the right thing to do,” Young said.
House Bill 5436, sponsored by state Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt), would authorize pharmacists to issue and dispense a prescription for a hormonal contraceptive patch, a self-administered hormonal contraceptive or an emergency contraceptive.
“Expanding access to contraceptives will empower Michiganders to take control of their reproductive rights,” said Hope. “This legislation addresses the fact that pharmacies are more accessible than physicians for many Michiganders while also keeping the necessary safeguards in place to ensure individuals across the state in need of contraception can access it safely and efficiently.”
HB 5436 would also require the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to consult with the Michigan Board of Pharmacy to establish a standard procedure for issuing a prescription, including a self-screening risk assessment tool.
“This legislation will ensure Michiganders can access the medication they depend on to manage their health, plan their families and pursue their dreams,” said Paula Thornton Greear, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Michigan. “We applaud our legislative partners for passing these bills to remove unnecessary barriers to care and ensure Michiganders can more easily access contraception.”
Michigan Democrats have taken concrete steps to protect reproductive rights including repealing the archaic abortion ban from 1931, expanding IVF and surrogacy laws, and increasing access to reproductive health care.
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