The Affordability is Access Act of 2023 requires health insurance plans to cover over-the-counter contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration without requiring patients to pay out-of-pocket costs or provide a prescription. The bill affects anyone with group health insurance coverage or individual health insurance plans, including an estimated 73 million women of reproductive age in the United States, as well as transgender men and nonbinary people who use birth control. The legislation directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury to clarify existing contraceptive coverage requirements to explicitly include over-the-counter birth control methods. The bill also requires retailers that stock over-the-counter contraceptives to allow customers to purchase them without interference and to provide accurate medical information about these products. The legislation does not specify a particular budget or implementation timeline but emphasizes that the bill is designed to address gaps in contraceptive access, noting that nearly one in five women do not use their preferred birth control method due to cost.
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