Easier birth control access — and fewer pharmacy visits — is goal of new law

A new state law will require health insurance plans to cover 12-month supplies of contraceptives, while allowing more women to pick up their birth control at their doctor’s office.

The idea is to ensure women with busy lives don’t need to to squeeze in trips to the pharmacy every month or every three months just to make sure they won’t get pregnant, said state Rep. June Robinson, D-Everett, the bill’s sponsor.

Gov. Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1234 into law Tuesday. The measure requires insurers to cover 12-month refills for birth-control prescriptions and allow women to pick up the drugs at their prescribing doctor’s office when possible, instead of at an off-site pharmacy.

Right now, many insurance plans only cover one- to three-month supplies of contraceptives. Under the new law, women in Washington will be able to get a year’s supply at a time, as long as they are refilling an existing prescription and aren’t in the last three months of a year-long insurance plan.

The new law takes effect July 23.

This story was originally published May 16, 2017 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Easier birth control access — and fewer pharmacy visits — is goal of new law."