 Health Care |
Health Care |
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Questions linger over cost of OTC birth control pills |
Over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pills are on the way, but the potential price for these contraceptives is raising concerns that accessibility may be lost if they aren't affordable. |
Perrigo Company's Opill birth control pill is set to become available in the first quarter of this year. The company has not disclosed the retail price of the pill, with a spokesperson saying it is committed to making sure its product is "accessible to people who need it." Stakeholders hope to avoid a similar situation to when OTC hearing aids became available in 2022. The ultimate cost of the products was much higher than what people would have paid with insurance. In anticipation of the product hitting retail locations, lawmakers and activists are calling on the federal government to make sure that Opill is affordable for most consumers. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) led other Democratic governors in calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to expand private insurance coverage to OTC products. "Without coverage that includes low or no out-of-pocket costs, over-the-counter birth control products become much less accessible," the governors wrote. Surveys have indicated a large share of reproductive-aged women — about 40 percent — would be willing to pay between $1 and $10 a month, but only 16 percent would pay more than $20 a month. The steering committee for the Free the Pill campaign called on Perrigo this week to price a 3-month supply of Opill at $15. "Though we are also advocating for OTC birth control to be fully covered by insurance without a prescription or cost sharing, we know that because US health insurance is often tied to employment, a high retail price could also put Opill out of reach for people who don't have employer-based insurance," the group wrote. |
Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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A Florida advocacy group is launching an effort to put Medicaid expansion on the ballot in 2026, over the overwhelming opposition of the state's GOP-majority Legislature. Florida is one of only 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid under ObamaCare, and proponents argue the measure would allow more than 1 million residents to gain coverage. "With more than 1.4 million Floridians missing out on essential care this expansion … |
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Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) unveiled a plan Friday to cancel medical debt for residents of the Constitution State in what would be a first-of-its-kind initiative. The plan was first unveiled on ABC's "Good Morning America.” According to ABC, the plan includes using $6.5 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to cancel $1 billion of medical debt in collaboration with a nonprofit that buys and eliminates … |
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More than 100 passengers and crew aboard a Queen Victoria cruise ship have fallen sick with a gastrointestinal illness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported. The Cunard Line ship departed Jan. 22 and is set to return Feb. 12, the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) said. Among the ship's 1,824 total passengers, 123 have reported being ill during the voyage. Of the 967-person crew, 16 have also become … |
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Branch out with a different read: |
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Extreme heat, wildfire smoke harm low-income and nonwhite communities the most, study finds |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Extreme heat and wildfire smoke are independently harmful to the human body, but together their impact on cardiovascular and respiratory systems is more dangerous and affects some communities more than others. A study published Friday in the journal Science Advances said climate change is increasing the frequency of … |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Providence will refund medical bills for thousands of patients after agreement with attorney general (KING 5)
- Texas Medical Board under pressure to define emergency exception to abortion ban (Stat)
- Charlotte leaders urge Atrium to consider working with charity that abolishes medical debt (North Carolina Health News)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- Second malaria vaccine highly protective, trial results show (Reuters)
- Health care jobs grew at fastest rate in over 30 years (Axios)
- EPA proposes some 'forever chemicals' be considered hazardous (CNN)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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The U.S. military began an initial round of airstrikes on Iranian-backed groups in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for an attack on a base in Jordan … Read more |
| Former President Trump's supporters are going after Taylor Swift amid chatter about whether the superstar could wade into the 2024 election with a … Read more |
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You're all caught up. See you next week! |
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