US says insurance coverage for contraceptives is mandatory after Supreme Court ruling on abortion

US President Joe Biden has warned US health insurance providers and companies to limit contraceptive coverage after a Supreme Court ruling nullified the constitutional right to abortion.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued guidance clarifying that the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, requires insurance plans to provide free birth control and family planning counseling to ensure individuals and their dependents.

U.S. HHS, along with the Department of Labor, said complaints of denials of coverage for various types of birth control have increased since the Supreme Court ruling.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that while abortion is under attack, it’s important to ensure that birth control is available nationwide and that insurers and employers follow the law and provide coverage at no additional cost.

Last month, the Supreme Court overturned its landmark 1973 ruling. Wade established the legal right to abortion.

Half of the United States has banned or banned or may ban or restrict abortion because of the ruling. At the same time, some may also limit access to birth control.
HHS guidelines require insurance providers to provide coverage for contraceptives in states that prohibit them.

In 1965, the Supreme Court ruled that couples had the legal right to purchase and use contraceptives, and unmarried people made a decision in 1972.

Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in an opinion last month that the court’s reasoning that overturned Roe v. Wade applies to birth control.

On Thursday, HHS said that by 2020, about 58 million American women would benefit from Obamacare’s mandated contraception coverage, saving billions of dollars in costs.