The Obama administration announced Aug. 1 that insurance plans must cover without cost to women contraceptives that can cause abortions.
Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said last year’s controversial health-care reform law would provide no-cost coverage of drugs with abortion-inducing properties such as “ella,” Plan B and Next Choice. The HHS action was expected. The department incorporated in its guidelines recommendations released July 19 by an Institute of Medicine committee.
The services will be required in insurance policies that begin their plan years Aug. 1, 2012, or thereafter, according to HHS. Under the guidelines, all methods approved as contraceptives by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be included in a range of services offered to patients free of charge.
Source: Baptist Press