The Affordable Care Act’s embattled requirement to cover contraceptives ought to include the smartphone app that’s FDA-cleared to prevent pregnancy, according to experts. But it’s anyone’s guess how that might work.
The company that makes the app, also called Natural Cycles, clearly thinks insurers might be willing. Its product costs $79 per year or $9.99 per month. Soon, someone will fill an open position at the company and begin liaising with U.S. insurers — including, potentially, Medicaid.
That person will be stepping onto fraught legislative terrain. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers should cover all FDA-approved contraceptive methods, and the person they are insuring should have no out-of-pocket costs. But that mandate has been repeatedly challenged in the courts and undermined by the executive branch.
About the Author Reprints
[9/23/2018]
Dear Editor:
On Sept 18th you reported an article asking the question “will insurers have to cover the controversial contraception app Natural Cycles under Obamacare’s mandate?”
This is an interesting topic because pregnancy is a crucial decision and birth controls were the focus of attention for many years as if they are effective at preventing pregnancy and what side effect occurs with them.
It has been stated by a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that 45% of pregnancies in 2011 were unplanned, but the number Is decreasing. Reducing unintended pregnancies can be achieved by ensuring that women have access to the appropriate contraceptive method of their choice.
As a married women with 3 kids , my perspective is that contraception are of course a source of preventing unwanted pregnancy even though with some side effects , and with more advanced technologies for birth control different form Hormonal contraception , I believe that at some point insurers will cover this app for many reasons , its certified by the FDA and an important thing that we should take into consideration is that Insurance companies tries their best to minimize unwanted payouts ,that increase with unpredictable outcomes or being at risk of unwanted pregnancy.
the advantage of covering the App can prevent this type unwanted payouts by the insurers that are also priority for Medicaid budgetary
Sincerely,
Noha Maddah
Many, many years ago, when my wife and I were a new couple, we discovered that oral contraceptives had some side effects that became problematic for her. It doesn’t matter what they were. We discovered that her cycle was very regular. As in, “Three, two, one……..and there it is!” Because we were highly motivated, we learned a LOT about how women become pregnant, additionally, we learned how NOT to become pregnant. We marked out the calendar and abstained when required and it worked perfectly. My birthday is the end of October, my wifes’ is mid-April. Our son was born on April 1 and our daughter October 30 eighteen months apart. We planned both pregnancies and it worked out very well. We were also lucky. We’re grandparents now. An app would have been a handy record keeping device but notepads, thermometers, and clocks served nearly as well.
The “Faith Based” Insurers will most certainly cover this App. We are post science, post fact here in the US. If the corporation markets this, insurers will gladly pay for it, since they won’t be forced to cover the unintended consequences.