Affordability is Access Act

Affordability is Access Act

This bill establishes several requirements relating to health-insurance coverage of, and access to, over-the-counter contraceptives.

Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury to specify that private health-insurance plans must cover over-the-counter contraceptives that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), even without a prescription. Under current law, private health-insurance plans (with some exceptions) must cover FDA-approved prescription contraceptives, without cost-sharing requirements.

The bill also prohibits retailers from interfering with an individual's access to oral contraceptives that are meant for routine, daily use and are FDA-approved for use without a prescription.