Emergency Contraception

Access to safe and reliable contraception is an essential component of health care for women. The health care law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), appropriately recognizes contraception as a key preventive health service for women, and requires all new insurance plans to provide coverage of the full range of FDA-approved contraceptives without cost-sharing for women. Before this important national victory for women’s health, some health insurance plans excluded coverage for prescription contraceptives even while covering other prescription drugs and devices and preventive care. That gender gap in health care coverage was challenged by states all across the country, which specifically passed laws to require contraceptive equity in health insurance coverage. There are 26 states with contraceptive equity laws. These state laws are the focus of this Consumer Guide.

Refusals to fill prescriptions for contraception and to provide emergency contraception (EC) over-the-counter are an increasing problem across the country. Refusals to provide contraception constitute a serious erosion of reproductive rights and impede women's access to critical health care. This fact sheet provides the context around this growing problem.