Birth control raises the cost of the drugs
When Plan B emergency contraceptive was made available over the counter, the generic brand name cost went from around $5 to roughly $40. By making birth control available over the counter, it would no longer be covered by health insurance. Women would have to pay out of pocket for their birth control, essentially making it more expensive.
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The Argument
Over the counter drugs are generally more expensive for customers when compared to drug prescriptions covered by insurance. If birth control was made available over the counter, the cost would increase significantly.
An example of this is Plan B, known as the “morning after pill”. Before Plan B was available in pharmacies, it required a prescription from a doctor. The insured cost of Plan B was inexpensive, around $5 for a generic brand, or $12 for a brand name. It now costs around $40 to buy a generic brand of Plan B, or $50 for a brand name. The difference in cost is significantly higher, which would mean the same result for birth control pills if they were available over the counter.[1]
Many women already face financial barriers when it comes to having access to birth control. Though making it available over the counter sounds like a good idea, it would actually raise the cost significantly. If a woman does not have insurance, using services like Nurx would be the better way to go. Prices of birth control range from $0 to $15 when using these services, even for women without insurance. [2]