Many CVS drug plans will cover over-the-counter birth control pill at no cost

CVS
Health
on
Thursday
said
its
drug
plans
will
cover
the
first

over-the-counter
birth
control
pill
in
the
U.S.
at
no
cost
for
many
health
plan
sponsors,
a
decision
that
could
open
the
door
for
more
people
to
prevent

unintended
pregnancies
without
a
prescription. 

The
company’s
pharmacy
benefit
manager,
CVS
Caremark,
said
the
pill
will
be
added
to
its
preventive
services
oral
contraceptives
list
and
will
be
covered
at
zero
cost
for
many
sponsors.
The
drug,
known
as
Opill
from


Perrigo,
was
available
at
pharmacies
starting
April
1,
according
to
a
pharmacy
update
from
CVS
Caremark
dated
last
week
and
viewed
by
CNBC.

Pharmacy
benefit
managers,
or
PBMs,
maintain lists of drugs
covered by
health
insurance
plans
and
negotiate drug discounts
with
manufacturers.
At
most
stores,
Opill
has
a
retail
price
of
$19.99
for
a
one-month
supply
and
$49.99
for
a
three-month
supply. 

The
Food
and
Drug
Administration
approved
Perrigo’s
medication
in
July.
It
marks
the
first
time
that
many
U.S.
residents
are
able
to
buy
birth
control
pills
over
the
counter,
the
same
way
they
would
purchase
common
pills
like
Tylenol
or
Advil. 

The
drug
could
significantly
expand
availability
of
contraception,
especially
for
younger
women
and
those
in
rural
and
underserved
communities
who
often
have
trouble
getting
access
to
birth
control
methods. 

Medical
organizations
have
estimated
that
45%
of
the
6
million
annual
pregnancies
in
the
U.S.
are
unintended.

The
pill’s
entrance
into
the
market
is
a
win
for
the
Biden
administration,
which
has
tried
to
shore
up
reproductive
rights
as
abortion
restrictions
rise
in
many
states. 

The
Supreme
Court’s
decision
to
overturn
the
landmark
Roe
v.
Wade
ruling
more
than
a
year
ago,
which
ended
50
years
of
federal
abortion
rights,
has
led
to
shrinking
availability
of
the
procedure
nationwide
and
renewed
calls
for
expanded
access
to
birth
control.