Gov. Whitmer Announces New Program to Provide Free Contraception to Michiganders, Lowering the Cost of Access to Family Planning

Press Release

Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a new program, Take Control of your Birth Control to ensure Michigan families have access to free contraception including over-the-counter oral birth control pills, emergency contraception, condoms, and family planning educational resources through community partners and federally qualified health centers across the state during the month of November. Take Control of Your Birth Control is funded through the bipartisan budget, and comes as the Biden-Harris administration proposes that insurance covers over-the-counter birth control.

“Everyone, no matter how much money they make, deserves to make their own decisions about their own reproductive health and future,” said Governor Whitmer. “With our family planning initiative, ‘Take Control of Your Birth Control,’ we are building on our work to protect reproductive freedom for all Michiganders. By expanding access to essential family planning tools, we are underscoring our commitment to ensuring Michiganders, along with their families and trusted health care providers, can make their own decisions about their own bodies and lives.”

This effort was made possible thanks to the work of the Michigan legislature, who secured $5.6 million in this year’s bipartisan budget to support DHHS’s expansion of its family planning program. The goal is to ensure individuals, regardless of their circumstances, have access to tools that allow them to make informed decisions about their health and future. Beginning in November, organizations will distribute emergency contraception, condoms, and over-the-counter oral contraceptive, for free to the general public, regardless of insurance and will continue as long as supplies are available.

Alongside free supplies, Take Control of Your Birth Control will give Michiganders the information they need to continue to get vital supplies covered going forward. This campaign reflects the state’s ongoing commitment to ensuring equitable access to reproductive health services. Beginning in November, Michigan families are encouraged to visit michigan.gov/takecontrol to find an interactive map of organizations participating in the effort and learn more about how to access these essential resources.

Along with free birth control, the initiative will also provide information on how to apply for coverage through Medicaid and the Plan First program, which offer health care coverage for a variety of family planning services, including birth control, STI testing and treatment.

Plan First! is a limited Medicaid benefit covering family planning services for those who do not qualify for traditional Medicaid. It is available to individuals of any age or gender who meet monthly income requirements and are Michigan residents. This builds on the governor’s effort to make contraception more accessible, which includes Plan First!.

How to apply for Plan First!:
Apply online at Michigan.gov/mibridges.
Call 855-789-5610.
Visit a local MDHHS county office.

For additional information about Plan First, visit Michigan.gov/planfirst.

Additionally, open enrollment for health insurance begins Friday, Nov. 1. The Affordable Care Act guarantees coverage of women’s preventive services, including free birth control and contraceptive counseling, by nearly all health insurance plans. Michiganders can shop for a health insurance plan by visiting the Health Insurance Marketplace or by calling 800-318-2596.

Whether you want to have a child, adopt, or not ready yet, the governor has made sure you have the support to make the right decision for you without interference from the government.

Governor Whitmer’s Fight for Reproductive Freedom:

In June 2022, before the Dobbs decisions was leaked, Governor Whitmer filed a motion urging the Michigan Supreme Court to immediately consider her lawsuit asking the court to decide if Michigan’s state constitution protects the right to abortion.

In April 2023, Governor Whitmer repealed Michigan’s extreme 1931 abortion ban.

In May 2023, signed a law prohibiting employers from discriminating against women because they’ve had an abortion.

In November 2023, Governor Whitmer signed the Reproductive Health Act, which repealed politically motivated, medically unnecessary statutes that criminalized nurses and doctors, forced health care providers to close, raised costs for patients, and restricted access to abortion.

In December 2023, Governor Whitmer signed legislation protecting health care workers from violence while on the job and the final piece of the Reproductive Health Act that forced Michiganders to buy a separate insurance rider for reproductive health care.

In February 2024, immediately following the ruling of the Alabama Supreme Court, Governor Whitmer ordered the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to issue a reminder to health care providers that they are protected under state law from extradition.

In March 2024, Governor Whitmer filed a motion to protect reproductive freedom from a legal challenge on Proposition 3, which enshrined abortion rights in the constitution following a ballot measure in 2022.

In April 2024, Governor Whitmer signed the Michigan Family Protection Act to legalize surrogacy and protect access to IVF.

In May 2024, Governor Whitmer directed the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to issue a reminder to Michiganders to be cautious of data privacy laws after reports of law enforcement using personal health data to prosecute those seeking reproductive care.

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