Contraceptive Equity Improves Health, Saves Money
Attorney General Lautenschlager Concludes Employers May Not Discriminate Against Women in Prescription Drug Coverage
FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE
August 16, 2004
Contact: Kelda Helen Roys
608-213-4502
Today, Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager issued a strongly worded, formal letter of legal opinion concluding that Wisconsin and federal law require equitable insurance coverage of contraceptives.
“Access to contraception is central to women’s productivity and equality,” said Kelda Helen Roys, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin. “The average woman uses contraceptives for nearly three decades – without them, she would have 12 to 15 pregnancies. Workers and businesses should applaud Attorney General Lautenschlager for upholding laws that save money and protect our health.”
According to the Women’s Research and Education Institute, women pay 68 percent more than men in out-of-pocket medical expenses during their reproductive years. Much of this discrepancy is due to uninsured contraceptives.
Covering contraceptives is cost-effective for businesses as well. Insurers generally pay medical costs of pregnancy, which can approach ten thousand dollars for a pregnancy carried to term, plus subsequent costs of insuring the child. Employers pay family leave costs and lose working time.
According to a study by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, covering the full range of reversible prescription contraceptives costs only $1.43 per employee per month—a less than one percent increase in employer medical costs. Studies show that the minor increase in cost is more than offset by the substantial savings resulting from fewer unintended pregnancies.
Nearly two-thirds of adult women receive health insurance through employers, yet many insurers will not cover some or all contraceptives, even when they cover other prescription drugs. The EEOC and other courts have held that such exclusions discriminate against women, and are thus unlawful. Attorney General Lautenschlager’s formal opinion follows legal precedent.
The Attorney General’s opinion carries substantial legal weight, and will likely assist thousands of Wisconsin women in receiving the basic health care coverage to which they are entitled under law.
“Attorney General Lautenschlager’s opinion acknowledges the importance of non-discriminatory preventative health care,” Roys stated. “Our state’s top prosecutor has consistently displayed a remarkable understanding of the laws protecting the health of women and families.”
NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, the state’s only organization dedicated exclusively to political advocacy for reproductive rights, works to reduce unintended pregnancy and the need for abortion through access to birth control.
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