Question

How did the Affordable Care Act change access to contraception?

Answer 1

Patient protection and affordable care act (ACA) was enacted in March 2010. It is a major health law that reforms the comprehensive health care delivery. The act aimed at providing affordable health insurance to the needy, expansion of medicaid and provision of support to the innovative medical care delivery methods

As birth control is essential to ensure adequate health and well being for the women, it is necessary to make the women available of the contraceptive methods.

In US, many child births are unintended, and often the cost of safe contraceptive methods such as intra uterine device are expensive.

Inorder to address all these matters, the administration put forward a mandate in which, female contraceptive coverage for all employees, educational institutions irrespective of the oppositions by major religious organizations.  

Therefore, it is added that, no cost should be shared by the female consumers, for FDA approved contraceptives and contraceptive services. This also includes female sterilization for women in the reproductive age group, if it is prescribed by the health care peovider. The health care provider can do so as a part of women's preventive health services guidelines ( Health Resources and Service Agency, for ACA)

In 2015, May, the administration again insists that atleast one form of the 18 FDA approved female contraceptive methods must be included without sharing the cost. Whereas male contraceptive methods are exempted from these acts

The eligible female contraceptive methods include

Sterilization for the females

Surgery (sterilization and implant fixation )

Surgery for sterilization implant

Implantable rods

Copper intrauterine devices

Intrauterine devices with progestin

Injection forms

Oral contraceptive pills, with oestrogen and projestin

Pills with progestin alone

Patches

Vaginal rings

Diaphragm

Sponge

Cervical cap

female condom, spermicides

By overcoming the oppositions of major religious organizationorganizations, the government was able to enact and regulate the act effectively and thereby improved the well being of females