Biden-Harris administration proposes free over-the-counter contraception under the Affordable Care Act

The news: The Biden-Harris administration unveiled a proposal to expand the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) coverage of contraceptives to include over-the-counter (OTC) contraception for free.

• The proposal builds on the ACA’s requirement that most private health plans cover the cost of prescription contraceptives.

Digging into the details: OTC therapies that would be covered include emergency contraception.

Perrigo’s Opill, the first OTC contraceptive to earn FDA approval—which pharmacy benefit manager CVS Caremark added to its no-cost preventive services list for many of its health plan sponsors earlier this year—would be covered, too.

The rule would also require most private health plans to disclose that OTC contraception is covered without cost sharing and without a prescription, as well as strengthen coverage of prescribed contraceptives.