Why birth control is an essential health benefit: What employers should know

Understanding the indirect and direct costs of excluding birth control coverage is important in evaluating coverage. State and federal policy changes can mean expensive changes; understanding how this directly affects the women in your organization, as well as internal discussions about your organization’s mission and what that means for how you support employees, can help you build a meaningful health plan that also manages costs.

Keeping up with changes in health care regulations is challenging for all the key players: payors, providers, and patients. What hasn’t changed is that women bear the brunt of the decisions that lobbyists and legislators make without their input. As a provider, an advocate, and a leader in digital health for women, here are my recommendations for what employers, advisors, and brokers should know about birth control and why it’s an essential health benefit to cover.