No more co-pays for contraception

(Thinkstock)Paying for birth control? Not anymore. Health insurance companies are required to stop charging women co-pays for contraceptives such as birth control and condoms Wednesday under new rules in President Barack Obama's health care reform law. The stipulation also requires plans to cover cervical cancer checks, sterilization and?a few other women's health care expenses without a co-pay.

Insurance plans that haven't changed significantly since 2010 are "grandfathered" out of this rule however, and plans that renew January 1 instead of August 1 won't have to provide the care for free until then. Religiously-affiliated institutions, such as Catholic colleges, won't have to provide the coverage until next summer because the Obama administration granted them an extra year to come into compliance. Many of these religious companies and non-profits have sued, saying the rule violates their freedom of religion. President Obama has argued that the insurance company, not the employer, will foot the bill for the contraceptives because providing them will eventually save the insurance companies money due to fewer unplanned pregnancies.

Last week, a judge?sided with a Colorado-based air conditioning company called Hercules Industries whose owners said providing contraception to their employees through their insurance plan would violate their religion. The judge said the company does not have to comply, but that his decision only applies to Hercules.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/health-care-reform-rule-birth-control-now-effect-150513835.html

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