Your health insurance coverage in Pennsylvania will cover women’s birth control and other reproductive expenses in 2012. Starting next August, thanks to the “Affordable Care Act, health insurers may be forced to provide many additional preventive services at no cost or copay to their policyholders. Some of these services include breastfeeding support and sexually-transmitted disease counseling. Typically, these services are not covered on conventional policies.
And guess who might pay for these services? You. Health rates in Pennsylvania will probably increase as the insurers pass the cost to the consumers. Now, don’t get me wrong. I think preventive benefits are important for men and women and medical plans should cover most of the expense. But it seems as if paying for birth control is going a bit too far. And covering the “morning after pill” was also a very controversial decision made by the Obama administration. As was Obama’s announcement that he now supports gay marriages. (By the way, I do not have strong feelings for either side on these controversial subjects).
Regardless of whether you practice (or don’t practice) birth control, it seems a bit odd that the federal government is forcing insurance carriers to cover this. It’s not an option. It’s the law. You begin to wonder what will be next. Mandatory replacement of toothbrushes every 60 days? Free earmuffs for residents of Allegheny County?
The groups of insureds that are likely to see the biggest increases are females between the ages of 15 and 50, although the amount of the increase will vary, depending on the company. I believe the increases will be in the 2%-7% range. But that is my opinion. It could end up being closer to 9%.
But one of the unintended consequences of this change could be positive. Maternity health insurance rates should reduce, since it’s safe to assume the number of unplanned pregnancies will decrease. Highmark, Keystone (Independence Blue Cross) and Aetna offer maternity benefits in many of their plans, so we’ll monitor the rates when all of these changes transpire.
UnitedHealthacare and HealthAmerica do not offer maternity options or riders, so it will be interesting to see if they will add this coverage to their Pa portfolio. Actually, UnitedHealthcare offered a maternity coverage rider for many years, but suspended the product in 2010.
We update daily any rate or coverage change on our website. So feel free to view current rates. We’ll assist in the application process and don’t worry…you never pay any fees.
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Tags: birth control insurance in Pennsylvania, Pa health insurance birth control, Pa Women's health insurance
Glad to hear it. This will save us money. Thanks for the constant updates. This is without question the best blog in the health insurance industry.
I did not realize that birth control is a medical expense that is covered. I know our current policy does not cover it so this is good news.
HEALTH INSURANCE IS MUST FOR EVERYONE ,BASICALLY MADEICLAME IS NECESSARY FOR US,Regardless of whether you practice (or don’t practice) birth control, it seems a bit odd that the federal government is forcing insurance carriers to cover this. It’s not an option. It’s the law. You begin to wonder what will be next. Mandatory replacement of toothbrushes every 60 days? Free earmuffs for residents of Allegheny County?
Yes, it’s much more expensive for insurers to pay for birth control pills and condoms than for children’s health care. I see your point.
I believe that male insurance should go up as well. Not just the women’s insurance. If they don’t want to be fathers, they should bear the responsibility as well. It is an insult to me to say the woman is responsible for getting the protection and to pay for it and the man just goes on as if he has nothing to do with it. INSULTING!!! It takes two to procreate.