Some states pushing for free vasectomies

Submitted by el cid on Thu, 2017-01-19 16:44

Story here. Excerpt:

'Call it contraception equality.

Vasectomies, which are not covered under President Barack Obama’s health care law, are increasingly being included in state measures that would require insurers to provide cost-free coverage of birth control.

Backers of laws and proposals in such states as Illinois, Vermont, Maryland and most recently New York say that if women can get tubal ligations with no out-of-pocket costs, men should be able to get their surgical sterilization covered cost-free as well. Such state measures are seen as a key backup if the federal mandate is repealed.

“What we have are couples facing a decision about which birth control method to use and they see that methods used by women have no out-of-pocket cost while there would be a cost, in some cases a fairly substantial cost, for men’s,” said Adam Sonfield, a policy analyst for the Guttmacher Institute, which studies reproductive health issues.'

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Comments

IMO, it is sexists to not include vasectomies on the ACA. Hopefully they will get included. Although I will be happy if some states can push it thru like the article suggests, but it really should be a federal issue.

I have purchased many insurance plans, and I have never come across one that covered tubal ligation only. Every plan I have seen, which covered sterilization has always covered both, with the same out of pocket expenses (that was before ACA, when I used to purchase insurance plans for employees).

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Submitted by Kris on Mon, 2017-01-23 01:36

I believe under ACA most forms of female birth control and tubal ligations are covered without any out-of-pocket expenses for the insured. Hysterectomies require payment of a deductible.

These proposals would cover vasectomies (and perhaps condoms) for men the same way tubal ligations are covered for women.

What's good for the goose...

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Submitted by el cid on Mon, 2017-01-23 04:26