Are oral contraceptives healthcare?

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My fiance is very angry to mandate that oral contraceptives should be paid for by health insurance. I feel it is a woman's right, and it is a medication, in additional to medical uses besides preventing pregnancy. But is it a health care issue to prevent pregnancy, like a medication that treats a disease, such as insulin? Or is that beside the point, because it is a choice? It is a useful medication for the personal choice of deciding when and if a woman will conceive. It will save millions of dollars in healthcare for the cost of unwanted deliveries, illnesses during pregnancy, not to mention the savings for raising children, their healthcare and education. Your respectful opinions are appreciated.

Specializes in Critical Care.
I get your point, I just disagree with it. You are optimistic that this bill will lower costs and improve access to healthcare. I am certain that it will have the opposite effect because it is crafted in a way that encourages individuals to become dependents of the federal government, "entitled" to "free" care.

As I've said before, if you think healthcare is expensive and difficult to access now, just wait until people perceive that it's free.

Contraception is relatively inexpensive and relatively easy to access now. In a few years, it won't be. You may not receive a big bill from your OB-GYN, but the federal government will, and that will turn into higher taxes, well out of proportion to today's cost of care. Don't believe me...just check out Medicare Part D.

These entitlements are unsustainable and will crush our economy, much like Greece is experiencing now.

Interesting piece on the actual cost of implementing Obamacare. The projected cost of supporting premiums has already increased by $110 Billion, and it's not even implemented yet.

[h=1]White House Quietly Increases Budget for Obamacare's Exchange Subsidies by $111 Billion[/h]White House Quietly Increases Budget for Obamacare's Exchange Subsidies by $111 Billion - Forbes

The initial estimates were probably low-balled and didn't take into account many of the concessions made to the for-profit interests in healthcare in order to secure Republican votes. Other than opening up medicare to a relatively small group of people, there are no entitlements in the Affordable Care Act. There are requirements that we invest more preventative care, although again, that costs us nothing.

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but you don't get those services for free. you pay your portion of that care. why should birth control be different?"

i don't quite understand the logic for eliminating the copay for birth control either, but i'm not opposed to it because those are such cheap drugs to begin with. it's $5, $10, or $15 that's coming out of the insurance company's pocket rather than the patient's, it's peanuts. i think a better idea would just be to put an affordable copay on every drug, like they do in the uk. $12.50/prescription for everything.

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Actually oral birth control can cause abortions in and of themselves...read the package insert. I am not saying anything either way about abortions, that is not a topic anyone can win, but just wanted to bring up the info. I was working with a Vet who was very religous and

anti-abortion and he overheard a conversation I was having with a co-worker about my birth control pills. He pulled me into a room and gave me a lecture...I was only 18 so I didn't no what to day, if that had happened today I would have been all "hell no" butt out! Anyhow, just some medical info and a reason behind why some religous types that are pro-life may not choose birth control. The pill does not always prevent an egg from being fertilized, but if this does happen, the hormones in the pill prevent the endometrial layer of the uterus from being receptive to implantation, so the fertilized egg is flushed out, which some may consider an abortion.

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Specializes in NICU.

The most expensive, just $20 a month. Your company obviously did not list my birth control. My job's insurance plan from 3 years ago did not pay for birth contrl and I had to pay $75 a month out of pocket. I am on this brand because it is supposed to help with my chronic UTI's.

Aren't we "young" people, who need/want birth control already paying for "older" people's health care: Medicare?

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Actually oral birth control can cause abortions in and of themselves...The pill does not always prevent an egg from being fertilized, but if this does happen, the hormones in the pill prevent the endometrial layer of the uterus from being receptive to implantation, so the fertilized egg is flushed out, which some may consider an abortion.

Please, Please don't tell me in your patient education you are actually using this line of thinking?????? Birth control pills ARE NOT abortion pills. The sooner we sqaush that line of thinking the better.

Now back on subject--Viagra is used for pulmonary hypertension as well as erectile dysfunction. So a number of the prescriptions that seem so "controversial" have multiple uses, birth control pills included. Like PCOS, through menopause, heavy periods that cause anemia for starters. And a former poster was correct, as younger people we pay into Medicare. Our tax dollars go towards Medicaid. I think that as many presciptions as possible should be covered. Generally speaking, if someone can't afford their presctiptions, then we have a huge cost of a relapse and hospitalization for chronic conditions. Preventaive measures of all kinds are currently covered that are non-prescription. This would add to it.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Frankly......I am sick of the whole thing. Being young (ish) and afflicted with an auto-immune disorder that has devastated my life. I am sick on insurance companies dictating my medical care. I sick of doctors with their sense of entitlement and crummy bedside manner who couldn't actually fight their way out of a paper bag. I sick of hospitals placing profits above patients and care. I sick of drive through nursing schools being used to cure and imaginary nursing shortage. I am sick of hearing about the elderly and the disabled being accused of sucking the system dry (I know there are abuses but go after them, don't expect the elder wand truly disabled to live in abject poverty) and use the most helpless of society to balance a budget that was made to exist by out of control by irresponsible spending and greed. I have paid into this "system" for 35 years and I have to beg for my own money and then be called a leech on society because I do use the money I put into the system. I am sick of paying inflated prices for everything just to line some fat cats pocket.:madface:

If you need a prescription then they should pay for it. Really, religious reasons??? Right like the priests in the catholic church have a moral conscience....bunch of perverts. (and I'm catholic so it's ok) They will pay to get it and keepit up.... But they find birth control amoral??? :bugeyes: Give me a break.....:banghead:

:banghead:The system is broke, and I am not so sure it can be fixed.

Thanks I feel better.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

I think it is a moot point whether or not we label contraceptives as "health care" ... there is no guarantee to health care in this country, never has been. There most certainly is no legal basis for a "right" to health care without out of pocket cost.

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.
I think it is a moot point whether or not we label contraceptives as "health care" ... there is no guarantee to health care in this country, never has been. There most certainly is no legal basis for a "right" to health care without out of pocket cost.

But there should be. ESPECIALLY for preventative care. It is in society's best interest to promote health among our citizens- even those too poor to pay themselves, and even those whose lifestyles actively discourage health. I am happy to have my tax dollars go to providing health care to some crack addict. And her children.

I believe health care is a basic human right. No one should have to choose between seeing a doctor and eating. No one should be bankrupt because they fought cancer. I would gladly pay out the nose in taxes if it meant "free" (ie tax funded)/affordable health care for everyone.

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.
I think it is a moot point whether or not we label contraceptives as "health care" ... there is no guarantee to health care in this country, never has been. There most certainly is no legal basis for a "right" to health care without out of pocket cost.

But there should be. ESPECIALLY for preventative care. It is in society's best interest to promote health among our citizens- even those too poor to pay themselves, and even those whose lifestyles actively discourage health. I am happy to have my tax dollars go to providing health care to some crack addict. And her children. I believe health care is a basic human right. No one should have to choose between seeing a doctor and eating. No one should be bankrupt because they fought cancer. I would gladly pay out the nose in taxes if it meant "free" (ie tax funded)/affordable health care for everyone.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
But there should be. ESPECIALLY for preventative care. It is in society's best interest to promote health among our citizens- even those too poor to pay themselves, and even those whose lifestyles actively discourage health. I am happy to have my tax dollars go to providing health care to some crack addict. And her children. I believe health care is a basic human right. No one should have to choose between seeing a doctor and eating. No one should be bankrupt because they fought cancer. I would gladly pay out the nose in taxes if it meant "free" (ie tax funded)/affordable health care for everyone.

That is a different philosophical discussion from whether or not the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as passed by the elected Congress, will mandate that all employer-sponsored health insurance plans provide coverage for contraception, and with what copay.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
The most expensive, just $20 a month. Your company obviously did not list my birth control. My job's insurance plan from 3 years ago did not pay for birth contrl and I had to pay $75 a month out of pocket. I am on this brand because it is supposed to help with my chronic UTI's.

Aren't we "young" people, who need/want birth control already paying for "older" people's health care: Medicare?

I believe you misunderstood me. The cost of birth control is NOT discounted or covered by my insurance. The price of $20/month is a discount offered by my local outlet of a national retail pharmacy as a means of attracting the business of individuals who lack adequate insurance coverage.

I am trying to help others understand that there are options besides insurance to lower one's costs of many health care services, prescriptions included.

Insurance is not necessarily our friend. Oftentimes, we are better served by the free market and entrepreneurs.

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I just wanted to touch base on the 10$ generic BC options. Target and Wal Mart pharmacies offer a few cheapie BC formulation options under their 4$-9$ generic program, Both only offer 2 types, per their brochure. Not all women can use this type, so if they need generic YAZ, for example, they will pay a heck of a lot more than 4$-9$

One other thing. In the UK and Canada, abortion is free, and BC is very very cheap, even free at many locations. Their abortion rates, when given consideration for population differences, is lower than our own. Their sexual education is also more comprehensive, it includes discussions regarding proper BC use, both condoms and pills.

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