CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE: It’s a Class Issue
Noting that California's contraceptive coverage bill has "enough momentum" to be passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Gray Davis, a Sa nta Barbara News-Press editorial argues it is "remarkable that the cost of birth control pills has not generally been covered by health insurance," as the pill is "basically the only class of drug not covered." The paper criticizes "out-dated thinking" that "birth control pills encourage unbridled sexual activity" and contends that the issue is, "in a very real sense, a class issue in which the poor are being denied family planning choices routinely enjoyed by the middle class and upper class, simply because they can pay the price." The paper concludes, "Birth control pills are a widely accepted form of population control and family planning. Their cost should be included among health insurance benefits" (4/14).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.