Letter to Thomas Middleton, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and Committee Members - Submission of Testimony on Bill to Expand Access to Contraception in Maryland

Letter

Dear Chairman Middleton and Committee Members,

I write to submit my testimony in strong support of SB 848 -- Health Insurance Contraceptive Equity Act, which would allow for greater access to contraception for Marylanders, an essential aspect of preventive health. I commend Senator Delores Kelley for introducing this bill and Planned Parenthood of Maryland for their advocacy in fighting for this critical issue. While Washington Republicans are fixated on trying to take away access to affordable care to millions of Americans, I applaud Maryland for taking the lead on expanding access to crucial health care services. If enacted, this legislation would be the most comprehensive expansion of private insurance coverage of contraception in the country. It would break down barriers to access to preventative health care services, including the fundamental right to family planning.

The Health Insurance Contraceptive Equity Act would ensure access to contraception to Marylanders. Contraception reduces unintended pregnancy, improves birth outcomes and contributes to lower infant mortality. Though the Affordable Care Act (ACA) improved access to contraception and other preventive health services across the country, some barriers to access still remain. To address these barriers, on the federal level, I joined my colleagues in introducing the Affordability is Access Act, which would ensure women maintain access to their preferred method of birth control by clarifying that if the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approves an over-the-counter oral contraception, insurance companies would be required to cover it without a prescription.

Similarly, the Maryland Contraceptive Equity Act expands access to over-the-counter contraceptive medications by requiring coverage without a prescription, which ensures that individuals have access to a broad range of contraception without facing hurdles, delays, or expensive out-of-pocket costs. Also, this bill bars most copayments for contraception and requires health insurers to pay for 13-months of contraception at a time, eliminating some of the logistical barriers to accessing contraception.

In addition, the Maryland Contraceptive Equity Act provides contraception equity for men by broadening coverage of vasectomies so they are covered on insurance plans without cost-sharing. The exclusion of methods used by men from the contraceptive coverage guarantee has real-world public health implications for preventing unplanned pregnancies. This legislation also eliminates preauthorization requirements for patients to obtain contraception. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends creating policies that do not require prior authorization, multiple provider visits, or require failure of other contraceptive methods before long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) can be offered. Under this bill, a health insurer will not be able to require a consumer to obtain approval of coverage before obtaining any contraception, including LARC.

The Maryland Contraceptive Equity Act will ensure that many more Marylanders have access to the contraception that works best for them, and will lead to important public health benefits for our state. For these reasons, I strongly urge the Maryland General Assembly to support SB 848 and will continue to help work toward similar federal policies to ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.

Sincerely,
Chris Van Hollen

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